Air Wonder Stories, May 1930 — page 17: what you’re looking at

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

1 WY i AN As wily THE ARCTIC RESCUE By the Author of “The World of 100 Men,” “The Gold Triumvirate,” etc. Sea} VEN an Arctic ow! becomes heavy if you catry @| him far enough, © e| I had carried this one quite far, and then quite Mi] a bit farther. I wondered if it would be safe to fa] take a short rest. I glanced at the low sun and the frosty horizon, There was no sign of storm. So, sticking my. rifle butt ima snowbank, I laid the bird down and. sat down on the edge of the drift. He was one of the most magnificent specimens of snowy owl that I had. ever seen. I wondered if it would be worth. while to mount him}; and I wondered if his flesh would be very tough if it were well boiled. We were sadly in need of change of meat at the ship, For nearly three years now we had lived on a very. restricted diet. And so, when we had sighted this great bird... . But perhaps it would be best to-start at the beginnmg, and tell how it all came about; and how we came to be: living in this. whaling boat, frozen fast in the ice, away. in the Arctic wilderness. In the first place, I am an amateur naturalist. For the better part of my life 1 have employed my spare time in fussing around with taxidermy, birds’ egg collec- tions and the like. At the time of which I am writing, I had been earning a livelihood for’a number of years.as:assistant examiner in the-patent office which I had found very interesting work, but on the whole too confining, The principal redeeming feature about my position was that it enabled me to live near the-great Smithsonian Institution and National Museum at Washington, where I spent a great deal of time, especially in the Natural, History department. I took a very keen interest in-all the new. collections that were brought in, and: in the expeditions that were sent out to collect data and speci- mens, Gradually the idea grew upon me that it: would be one of the finest experiences of a lifetime to be able to accompany a scien- tific research expedition on a long voyage, But because { really. was not a scientist by education and training; I knew my qualifica- tions were so limited that there could be but little hope of my ever being selected for such work, Tt so happened however that one of my old acquaintances was elected a member of the board of governors of the Museum; and through him I became more or Jess familiar with the method of management and the secur- ing of specimens. for that great institution. frigid zones. snow and ice. beckons. NE evening at a lodge supper he remarked that a whaling QO ship had recently returned front an Arctic trip; and-that they had reported the capture of two gigantic’ blue whales, If the reports were true, these whales were by far the: largest ones ever taken. The crew reported having sighted a large number of these monsters; but having already secured a capacity load, they had fieen obliged to steam away and return to port, The museum juthorities had been so interested that they had sent a repre- WALTER KATELEY HE recent Antarctic exploration of Ad- miral Byrd has brought to the atten- tion of the whole world the painstaking care that must be ewvercised in fitting out an en- pedition to conquer the white wastes of the For without means of com- munication with clyilization or sufficient equipment, almost certain death awatts the explorer who would tear from nature the secrets she has guarded with barriers of But suppose you were in an arctic expedt- tion, ice-bound in those great.vastes, and slow but certain death approached. Perhaps in a moment of madness a great idea might flash into your brain that might mean the salwa- tion! of yourself and your fellow-explorers. In this astounding air story Mr. Kateley shows indeed how fertile and adaptable is the human mind when such -grim necessity sentative to examine the ship's cargo and records, The. story was further substantiated by interviewing a number of the ship's crew. The result was that the envoy had been convinced of the genuineness of the-report, My friend, the board member, believed’ thatthe ship owner intended to send her back to the same region as soon as she was putin repair; and-he felt that the museum -ought to make an effort to have one of the big whales brought to. Washington; perhaps’ by sending a couple of naturalists to. take: measure- ments and see that the catch was properiy preserved. I was very much interested in the project and the next time TI met the board member I asked if:there were any developments, “Yes,” he said. “We have made some. progress. We have bd submitted a proposition to the owners, and they have considered it favorably. We have offered to provision the boat for the. voy- age, furnishing all necessary auxiliary equipment, and to send. two representa- tives to protect our interests, the conditions being that the ship shall continue the search for three years, or until a suitable speci- men is taken, “The chief difficulty,” he went on, “is to find some one of proper qualifications who is willing to rough it-and endure the hardships of sucha voyage, You know the circumpolar regions are very uninvit- ing. _I had thought of offering the position to you,” he finished jokingly. “That’s a good egg,” 1 replied. “I had thought seriously of suggesting that very thing.” “You wouldn't give up your good posi- tion to go on a skylarking expedition like that, would you?” he asked in- credulously, “Well, yes,” he said at length. wouldn’t have to give up my po- sition permanently, Since the museum isa semi-government in- stitution, perhaps I could get leave of absence,”~ Aboard the Marazion 'y friend looked at me long and gravely before he spoke. “Well, yes;” he said at length. “I suppose you are to some ex- tent qualified, what with your taxidermy and other hobbies. But you have no diplomas or degrees or what not to show the board that you have spectal qualifica- tions.” “Well,” I countered, “neither did Darwin have any . diplomas or degrees. to show that he was a qualified naturalist or geologist when he was appointed to go on the: famous-voyage of the Beagle, What he did have; how- ever, was some very good friends} and since you are on the board, I'am going to put-in a few days hoping.” “Well,” he said. “TI will think it over. But I want you to do-some serious thinking too, Such a voyage is-no joke.” T need not dwell on the happenings of the next few months. Suffice -it to say: that some three months later, ane bright June morning I went aboard the Maragion with baggage; prepared to sail the seas from the Aurora horealis* to the Aurora australis** if need be to capture a blue Goliath, "Northern Lights. . ** Southern ‘Lights. 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