Edward Stratemeyer

CHAPTER I ANDY AND HIS UNCLE

CHAPTER II AT THE LUMBER CAMP

CHAPTER III SOME PAPERS OF VALUE

CHAPTER IV CHET GREENE'S PAST

CHAPTER V THE MAN ON THE LEDGE

CHAPTER VI A WORLD-WIDE HUNTER

CHAPTER VII CHET AND THE MOOSE

CHAPTER VIII A TALK OF IMPORTANCE

CHAPTER IX SOMETHING ABOUT THE NORTH POLE

CHAPTER X BRINGING IN SOME GAME

CHAPTER XI A SERIOUS LOSS

CHAPTER XII A LETTER OF INTEREST

CHAPTER XIII BARWELL DAWSON REACHES A DECISION

CHAPTER XIV THE FIRE ON THE STEAMER

CHAPTER XV THE START OF THE COOK EXPEDITION

CHAPTER XVI A TRICK, AND WHAT FOLLOWED

CHAPTER XVII AN ENCOUNTER WITH ICEBERGS

CHAPTER XVIII SHOOTING WILD GEESE

CHAPTER XIX GREENLAND AND THE ESQUIMAUX

CHAPTER XX FAST IN THE ICE

CHAPTER XXI A FIGHT WITH POLAR BEARS

CHAPTER XXII THROUGH THE LONG NIGHT

CHAPTER XXIII "NORTH POLE OR BUST!"

CHAPTER XXIV THE LAST HUNT

CHAPTER XXV CROSSING THE GREAT LEAD

CHAPTER XXVI ON A FLOATING MASS OF ICE

CHAPTER XXVII HOW COMMANDER PEARY REACHED THE POLE

CHAPTER XXVIII THE TOP OF THE WORLD AT LAST

CHAPTER XXIX FIGHTING OFF STARVATION

CHAPTER XXX HOME AGAIN

CHAPTER XXXI GOOD NEWS CONCLUSION

Contents

• CHAPTER I—ANDY AND HIS UNCLE
• CHAPTER II—AT THE LUMBER CAMP
• CHAPTER III—SOME PAPERS OF VALUE
• CHAPTER IV—CHET GREENE’S PAST
• CHAPTER V—THE MAN ON THE LEDGE
• CHAPTER VI—A WORLD-WIDE HUNTER
• CHAPTER VII—CHET AND THE MOOSE
• CHAPTER VIII—A TALK OF IMPORTANCE
• CHAPTER IX—SOMETHING ABOUT THE NORTH POLE
• CHAPTER X—BRINGING IN SOME GAME
• CHAPTER XI—A SERIOUS LOSS
• CHAPTER XII—A LETTER OF INTEREST
• CHAPTER XIII—BARWELL DAWSON REACHES A DECISION
• CHAPTER XIV—THE FIRE ON THE STEAMER
• CHAPTER XV—THE START OF THE COOK EXPEDITION
• CHAPTER XVI—A TRICK, AND WHAT FOLLOWED
• CHAPTER XVII—AN ENCOUNTER WITH ICEBERGS
• CHAPTER XVIII—SHOOTING WILD GEESE
• CHAPTER XIX—GREENLAND AND THE ESQUIMAUX
• CHAPTER XX—FAST IN THE ICE
• CHAPTER XXI—A FIGHT WITH POLAR BEARS
• CHAPTER XXII—THROUGH THE LONG NIGHT
• CHAPTER XXIII—“NORTH POLE OR BUST!”
• CHAPTER XXIV—THE LAST HUNT
• CHAPTER XXV—CROSSING THE GREAT LEAD
• CHAPTER XXVI—ON A FLOATING MASS OF ICE
• CHAPTER XXVII—HOW COMMANDER PEARY REACHED THE POLE
• CHAPTER XXVIII—THE TOP OF THE WORLD AT LAST
• CHAPTER XXIX—FIGHTING OFF STARVATION
• CHAPTER XXX—HOME AGAIN
• CHAPTER XXXI—GOOD NEWS—CONCLUSION

FIRST AT THE NORTH POLE

OR

TWO BOYS IN THE ARCTIC CIRCLE

BY

EDWARD STRATEMEYER

Author of
Oliver Bright’s Search, Richard Dare’s Venture,
The Last Cruise of the Spitfire, True to
Himself, Joe, the Surveyor,
Shorthand Tom, Etc.

ILLUSTRATED BY CHARLES NUTTALL

GROSSET & DUNLAP

PUBLISHERS :: NEW YORK

Published, December, 1909
Copyright, 1909, by Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Co.
All rights reserved

First at the North Pole

PREFACE

“First at the North Pole,” relates the particulars of a marvelous journey from our New England coast to that portion of our globe sometimes designated as “the top of the world.”

Filled with such dreams as come to all explorers, Barwell Dawson fitted out the Ice King for a trip to the north. Because of what had happened, it was but natural that he should invite Andy and Chet to accompany him, and equally natural that they should hasten to accept the invitation.

The boys knew that they would have no easy time of it, yet they did not dream of the many perils that awaited the entire party. Once the staunch steamer was in danger of being crushed by an immense iceberg, in which event this chronicle would not have been written. Again, the boys and the others had a fierce fight with polar bears and with a savage walrus. When the ship was jammed hard and fast in the ice a start was made by the exploring party, accompanied by some Esquimaux and several dog sledges. All had heard of the marvelous achievements of Cook and Peary, and all were fired with a great ambition to go and do likewise. With the thermometer often at fifty degrees below zero, they pushed on steadily, facing death more than once. To add to their troubles they had sickness in camp, and snow-blindness, and once some Esquimaux, becoming scared, rebelled and tried to run off with their supplies. Then, when the North Pole was at last gained, it became the gravest kind of a problem how to return to civilization alive.

In penning this volume I have had a twofold purpose in mind: the first to show what pure grit and determination can do under the most trying of circumstances, and the second to give my readers an insight into Esquimaux life and habits, and to relate what great explorers like Franklin, Kane, Hall, DeLong, Nansen, Cook, and Peary have done to open up this weird and mysterious portion of our globe.

Edward Stratemeyer.

November 15, 1909.