Part 36 (2/2)

”This floe!”

His companions could not understand what he meant

”Let us embark on it! let us embark on it!”

”Oh! Mr Clawbonny, Mr Clawbonny,” said Johnson, pressing his hand

Bell, assisted by Altaht back one of the poles, which he stuck fast on the ice like a mast, and fastened it with ropes The tent was torn up to furnish a sail, and as soon as the frail raft was ready the poor fellows jumped upon it, and sailed out to the open sea

Two hours later, after unheard-of exertions, the survivors of the Forere picked up by the Hans Christian, a Danish whaler, on her way to Davis' Straits They were ht of their sufferings was enough It told its own tale; but the captain received them with such hearty sympathy, and lavished on the them alive

Ten days afterwards, Clawbonny, Johnson, Bell, Altamont, and Captain Hatteras landed at Korsa to Denmark They took the stea to London, where they arrived on the 13th of the sas

The first care of Clawbonny was to request the Royal Geographical Society to receive a coly admitted to the next

[Illustration: --P267]

seance, and one can iine the astonishment of the learned asse of Hatteras' docuraphical discovery, from the lord to the cockney, from the rand discovery speedily flashed along the telegraph wires, throughout the length and breadth of the kingdom Hatteras was lauded as a lishman felt proud of hi presented to the Queen by the Lord Chancellor, and they were feted and ”lionized” in all quarters

The Government confirmed the names of ”Queen's Island,”

”Mount Hatteras,” and ”Altamont Harbour”

Altalory, but followed them to Liverpool, where they were joyously welco supposed dead and buried beneath the eternal snows

But Dr Clawbonny would never allow that any honour was due to himself He claimed all the merit of the discovery for his unfortunate captain, and in the narrative of his voyage, published the next year under the auspices of the Royal Geographical Society, he places John Hatteras on a level with the ators, andress of science

The insanity of this poor victim of a sublime passion was of a e, a private asylum near Liverpool, where the Doctor hi that was said to hiether The only tie that connected him with the outside world was his friendshi+p for Duk, as allowed to remain with him

For a considerable tiarden for hours, acco, atched him with sad, wistful eyes, but his promenade was always in one direction in a particular part of the garden When he got to the end of this path, he would stop and begin to walk backwards If anyone stopped hier towards a certain part of the sky, but let anyone attery, while Duk, as if sharing his master's sentiments, would bark furiously

The Doctor, who often visited his afflicted friend, noticed this strange proceeding one day, and soon understood the reason of it He saas that he paced so constantly in a given direction, as if under the influence of sonetic force

This was the secret: John Hatteras invariably walked towards the North

The End