I continued to scan the horizon with the large telescope and my search was soon rewarded by the discovery of a man who seemed to have just reached the crest of what appeared to be a long sandy ridge running north and south, but a few miles distant. He seemed to be assisting others to reach the same position. Raising the instrument to its highest powers I was enabled to recognize Captain Battell and several sailors. They were hauling others up from the opposite side by means of a rope, who as soon as they reached the top, took hold and helped to raise others. I described the scene and asked Captain Ganoe to look for himself. He took in the situation at a glance and said; "We must go to their assistance. The sledges and dog teams are evidently on the opposite side and they must be lifted up as well as the men," and turning to Huston he said: "Return to the ship. Summon the entire crew. Explain the situation to the Norwegians, tell them to get out the sledges immediately and take such appliances as they deem necessary, and Jack and I will meet you at the foot of the mountain on the east side. Make all haste possible as we must hurry to the assistance of our comrades who are evidently nearly exhausted." CHAPTER IV. A SINGULAR DISCOVERY--BATTELL CROSSING A SAND RIDGE ON THE ICE-FIELD--CAPTAIN GANOE LEADS A PARTY TO HIS ASSISTANCE--LIEF AND ERIC--BATTELL'S THEORY--A SECOND EXPEDITION--BATTELL'S LONG ABSENCE--IS DISCOVERED RETURNING ALONE, SCARCELY ABLE TO WALK--RELIEF PARTY FINDS HIM UNCONSCIOUS--CAPTAIN GANOE AS PHYSICIAN--BATTELL RELATES HOW HE WAS ABANDONED BY HIS MEN--PREPARING FOR THE BREAK. [Illustration] HUSTON stepped upon the elevator and descended to the ship to carry out the instructions he had received, while Captain Ganoe and myself remained in the observatory to scan the surface more critically, and map out the route we must travel. So far as we could discover there seemed to be no serious obstacle in the way. The surface between us and the sand ridge which Battell must cross had the appearance of a level plain of snow or ice, with numerous hummocks scattered here and there. Beyond this, the ridge, with some lofty elevations, filled the outlines of the picture.