The Argosy, Vol. XXV, No. 1 — page 134: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

134 THE GOLD DELUGE. ‘“ That is the idea,’’ Erik exclaimed joyfully. ‘‘We will bribe some whaler, and after swearing him to secrecy, have him deliver a packet to Pro- fessor Dulcis. We will then proceed further south to await results.’’ ‘“ Not a bad idea at all,’’ Alsloev remarked, ‘‘ but whether we will run across such a vessel, and whether the captain will agree to our proposition— that is the question.”’ ‘‘ Gold,’’ Jackson interposed, ‘‘ makes all things possible.” ‘“The time of year is also very favorable,’’ Smith suggested. ‘‘ If we ouly do not meet too many and have some one of them betray us.’’ ‘Yes, there is no doubt but that ship is after us at this very moment,’’ the steward said. : ‘“And that miserable Petterson,’? Smith continued, ‘‘if he was lucky enough to be taken on board of the man of war, undoubtedly made great . haste to tell them all he knew.”’ ‘* Bah, he knew nothing ; at the most, that we would sail south, and that is a word full of flexible meaning. Meantime we have gained enough head- way, and they will hardly pursue us to the pole.’’ The day passed quietly and without any events that would cause alarm. About noon the captain made an observation of the sun and reported that the ship was then about 57 degrees south latitude and a little over gi degrees west longitude, and therefore the course was laid more to the southwest by west. In the afternoon a sail was descried towards the northwest which only appeared a short time on the horizon and soon vanished. i The Chemeia moved along rapidly, although its speed was nothing near that of the night before. Had this been kept up, Smith declared, they would have sailed around the earth in from ten to twelve days, provided the boiler did not explode. . , Meanwhile Erik was busily engaged in his cabin, writing a detailed report of his discovery for Professor Dulcis and similar reports for the principal — scientific societies of the world. These were to be given, by the person to be engaged, to the different post offices in Europe. ‘To be more secure Erik wrote the treatises in such intricate scientific language that only the greatest expert could understand what it was all about. New life, hope, and ambition had awakened in Erik. He charmed those around him by his frank, hearty laugh, and the glad, happy look came back to his eyes once more. Days went by, and one morning when Erik, as was his custom, appeared early on deck with his wife, he noticed the captain looking towards the east in an eager fashion through his glass. Erik stepped up to him quickly and gazed in the same direction. Far out, as far as it was possible to distinguish objects, land had been dis- covered. Clear and white as snow, the sharp edges of mountain chains wefe distinctly marked in the rising sun, which seemed to ascend noticeably slower than usual into the blue heavens. ‘The glaring white light of large snow- fields dazzled the eyes, and the water along the coast was asa deep blue and as clear as a solution of copper. Millions of minute crystals had formed during the night in the rigging of the Chemeia and now glittered brilliantly. Eomicbooks (E(0)