CHAPTER XVIII 
AETER MUSK-OXEN THE DOCTOR's SCIENTIFIC 
EXPEDITION 
FROM the time of my arrival at the Roose- 
velt ,, for nearly three weeks, my days were 
spent in complete idleness. I would catch a 
fleeting glimpse of Commander Peary, but not 
once in all of that time did he speak a word to 
me. Then he spoke to me in the most ordi- 
nary, matter-of-fact way, and ordered me to 
get to work. Not a word about the North 
Pole or anything connected with it; simply, 
"There is enough wood left, and I would like 
to have you make a couple of sledges and mend 
the broken ones. I hope you are feeling all 
right." There was enough wood left and I 
made three sledges, as well as repaired those 
that were broken. 
The Commander was still running things 
and he remained the commander to the last 
minute; nothing escaped him, and when the 
153 
