Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net [Illustration: "And now, a cheer for the first boys at the North Pole!"] 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 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 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.