Following that eventful discussion in Seattle, on their return from South America and their adventures there in The Enchanted City of the Incas, they had gone back to Yale and studied hard to make up for lost time in the first half of the term. All three were clever and had the knack of concentrating at their tasks, and all as a consequence had succeeded in making up back work in classroom and lecture. As a result they had entered the succeeding term, or at least were prepared to do so, without conditions. This was a matter for congratulation, indeed, and deserving of especial reward.
That reward had been theirs. For Mr. Hampton and Mr. Temple both decided that their respective sons and Frank, Mr. Temple’s ward, should be permitted to accompany Mr. Hampton on his trip to attempt to find some trace of the “Lost Expedition” and of the reputed oil field in search of which Thorwaldsson had set out.
“Farnum is reputed a wizard in knowledge of the Northland,” Mr. Hampton had explained to Mr. Temple, “and, as a consequence, I do not consider that we will run any danger. Our greatest danger, of course, would be to become trapped in the Far North in the Fall and be prevented by the rigors of Winter from regaining the outside. For I do not intend to spend the Winter there. Instead, I hope to be back in civilization by the early Fall.
“That,” he added, “will give us plenty of opportunity to seek traces of the ‘Lost Expedition.’ I have been in communication with Farnum. His plan is for us to push up the MacKenzie to one of its tributaries, and then strike eastward. We will leave the gasoline schooner to make its way back to Nome, while we push on overland, lightening our journey on rivers and lakes, in the hope of finding the River of Oil flowing north.
“If we are unsuccessful, when the seasonal warnings of approaching Winter come, we will turn to the southeast and come out in northern Canada.
“The boys are hard and fit, and such a trip will be of inestimable value for them. It will make them self-reliant and teach them to depend upon themselves. Not that they are not in a fair way to be youths of that sort already,” he added, smiling. “If you could have seen them in South America, George, it would have done your heart good.”
“I know, I know,” said Mr. Temple, shaking his head slightly, and smiling. “Several years ago, that time when you were captive in Mexico and they set out to rescue you—”
“Yes, and did,” supplied Mr. Hampton.
“And did,” agreed Mr. Temple. “Well, they showed the stuff that was in them then. And the very same Summer, when I took them to San Francisco on what I considered was going to be a little pleasure trip combining a bit of business with sight-seeing, and—”
“And you became involved with the Chinese smugglers, and imprisoned, and ended up by busting up their show—”