He pointed to their left, where a dark object lay on the ice, half covered with loose snow.
“Might as well see what it is,” said Barwell Dawson, who was as curious as the others. So far, in that land of desolation, they had seen absolutely nothing but ice, snow, and open water.
They moved to the spot and saw that the dark object was the carcass of a dog, frozen stiff. Beside the dog lay a board of a sledge.
“Look!” exclaimed Barwell Dawson, as he held up the board. “Do you see what it says?”
All looked at the bit of wood and saw, burnt upon it, the following:
PEARY—1909
“It is something from the Peary expedition!” said Professor Jeffer. “He must have gotten up here ahead of us!”
“It certainly looks that way,” answered Barwell Dawson. “Well, he deserved to reach the Pole, after his many years of untiring efforts.”
Leaving the board as a silent monument, the four continued on their way northward. Again the wind was blowing from the west, and they calculated that it was on the increase.
“With the thermometer down so low, if it blows very strong we’ll be frozen stiff,” declared Chet. “Why, a winter in Maine is a hothouse alongside of this!”