"But remember," he said, impressively; "if you suffer great hardships or lose your life, nobody must blame me." "Trust me; no one will be blamed but myself," answered Professor Jeffer, with equal gravity. Then his face beamed. "It will be a wonderful trip, wonderful! And we shall see so many new things,--make so many interesting discoveries! I shall take along a set of the best instruments available, and make all sorts of observations. Such a record alone will be worth all it costs to get it." "I do not doubt it, Professor." "And then the fame--think of it, the fame! Why, sir, if we succeed in gaining the North Pole,--or even if we succeed in going above Commander Peary's highest mark, latitude 87° 6',--it will be something for the entire civilized world to know." "True." "From today on I shall go into the hardest kind of training," continued Professor Jeffer. "I shall fit myself to withstand the most intense hunger and the most intense cold. It is the only way." "It is certainly a good idea," answered Barwell Dawson. "It won't do to go up north 'soft,' as they call it." On the morning of the fourth day it cleared, and Andy and Chet decided to go out once more after the moose. Mr. Dawson's ankle was now well, but he did not want to try walking a long distance on it just yet. "You can get your game today," he said, "and we can start for Lodgeport tomorrow. There I'll see that lawyer for Andy, and then I'll try to return to my camp back of Moose Ridge, and see what the storm did to it." "If you want me to, I'll go back to the Ridge with you," said Chet. "I haven't anything else to do, now that I can't get work at one of the lumber camps." "Very well, I'll be glad of your company." Andy and Chet were soon on their way to where the latter had left the moose. Fortunately they had been able to borrow snow-shoes from Professor Jeffer, who owned several pairs. Both lads knew how to use the articles, and glided over the newly fallen snow with ease. "Just imagine we were bound for the North Pole!" cried Andy. "Wouldn't it be great!" "I'd like to look for my father, Andy," and Chet's face clouded. "Oh, Chet, I'm sorry I spoke--I didn't want to remind you----" "Oh, it's all right, Andy. If I don't hear from my father soon, I'd like first-rate to go north with Mr. Dawson's expedition." "I don't think he'd want to bother with boys." "We are not so very young. And both of us know how to rough it--and we are pretty good shots, too." "I guess you've been thinking about it pretty strongly." "Haven't you?" "Yes, I have. Mr. Dawson seems to be such a splendid man, the trip ought to be fine, even if the North Pole wasn't reached." "Just my idea. We would do lots of hunting, and riding behind the Esquimaux dogs. Just think of being on a sledge with eight or ten dogs to pull you over the ice and snow!" "And the thermometer 50° below zero! Don't forget it is fearfully cold up there."