"Europeans here!" cried Hatteras.
"Evidently," said Johnson.
"And still," said the doctor, "it is so unlikely, that we ought to look twice before being sure."
Thereupon he looked twice, three times, at the print, and he was obliged to acknowledge its extraordinary origin.
De Foe's hero was not more amazed when he saw the footprint on the sand of his island; but if he was afraid, Hatteras was simply angry. A European so near the Pole!
They pushed on to examine the footprints; for a quarter of a mile they were continually repeated, mingled with marks of moccasins; then they turned to the west. When they had reached this point they consulted as to whether they should follow them any farther.
"No," said Hatteras. "Let us go on—"
He was interrupted by an exclamation of the doctor, who had just picked up on the snow an object even more convincing, and of the origin of which there could be no doubt. It was the object-glass of a pocket telescope.
"Now," he said, "we can't doubt that there is a stranger here—"
"Forward!" cried Hatteras.