All were glad to rest, yet sleep was almost out of the question. The one thought of each member of the party was, "Are we at the Pole, or how much further have we to go?" Early in the morning it was cloudy, but about ten o'clock the sun came out faintly. "Unless it comes out full, I cannot take an accurate observation," said the professor. All waited impatiently and watched the sky. When it was a quarter to twelve the clouds rolled away to the eastward, and the sun burst forth with dazzling brightness. "Now is our chance!" cried Chet. All assisted the professor in his preparations to take the all-important observation. The old scientist's chronometer was compared with that of Barwell Dawson. "A difference of but three seconds," said the former. "We will split the difference when I take the observation," and this was done. The sextant was raised, and the old scientist looked through it with great care. His artificial horizon had been arranged but a short distance away. "Time!" roared Barwell Dawson, and the professor set the thumbscrew of his instrument. Then, through the magnifying glass, he read the figures and set to work with pen and pencil, making his computations, with his Nautical Almanac before him. All awaited breathlessly what he might have to say. Suddenly the aged man threw down the paper and pencil and threw his arms into the air. "We are at the 90th degree of north latitude!" he cried. "We have reached the North Pole!" "Hurrah!" yelled Andy and Chet, simultaneously, and Barwell Dawson joined in the cheer. "You are certain of that?" asked the explorer. "We must make no mistake." "Read the observation for yourself," answered the old scientist. "It is true," said Barwell Dawson, when he had verified the figures. "We are really and truly at the North Pole. Now, then, to raise the flag!" The others understood. All through the bitter journey they had carried an American flag and a fair-sized flagpole. Once the flag had become torn but they had mended it with care. In a twinkling the pole was brought forth, and planted in the ice and snow. Then the flag was raised, and it floated proudly in the breeze. "Three cheers for Old Glory!" cried Barwell Dawson, and the cheers were given with a will. "Three cheers for Barwell Dawson!" cried Andy, and he and Chet and the old scientist gave them, roundly. Then there followed a cheer for Professor Jeffer. "And now a cheer for the first boys at the North Pole!" cried Barwell Dawson, and he and Professor Jeffer raised their voices as loudly as they could. The boys could scarcely contain themselves, and both danced a jig, and then Andy turned half a dozen handsprings, just by way of working off his superfluous spirits.