ivilization lay a thousand miles and
more of the most fearful road that man has ever had to travel, a road
untrod, with cold like to the bitterness of death as its constant state
and the howl of the blizzard for its sole companion. Not only must this
blind and awful trail be conquered, with possible disaster in every mile
and a sure heritage of suffering and pain in every step, but food
sufficient to last 300 men for over four months had to be taken over
those desolate wastes.

The _Bear_, though only three weeks back from a six months' cruise in
Arctic waters, was ordered back to the desperate attempt. There was no
need to ask for volunteers in the Revenue Cutter Service. Every man in
the service, from the most recently enlisted man to the Captain
Commandant would have stepped forward. As it was, the expedition
contained three of the ablest and most vigorous men in the entire
service. It was under the command of Lieutenant Jarvis, with Lieutenant
Bertholf (now the Captain Commandant of the Coast Guard) as the second
in command. Only one other white man, Surgeon Call, accompanied the
expedition.

The _Bear_, under sail and steam, headed for the north. Every mile
gained by sea meant a vast help to the expedition. Yet, when Cape Nome
was still 85 miles distant, the little vessel ran into thick mush-ice.
Beating around for clearer water the wind began to die down and the
_Bear_ was almost caught. Had she been frozen in then, ten miles to the
east of Southeast Cape, the expedition would have been frustrated and
the whalers left unrescued. It was a narrow escape and the commander of
the _Bear_ turned back to Cape Vancouver, and the next morning steamed
to within five miles of a native village, not marked on any chart, but
visible from the ship.

Minutes counted, and two boats were sent off to the shore. The
settlement was found to be the village of Tununak, in which, by good
fortune, was a half-breed trader, Alexis, who had dogs. On December 18th
the overland expedition started, far south of Nome, with four sleds and
forty-one dogs, nine dogs being harnessed to each of the sleds belonging
to Alexis and fourteen to the heavy one from the ship. From Tununak they
went to Ukogamute, and because a southeast wind had cleared away the ice
from the shore, the party was compelled to climb a range of mountains
between the two villages.

"Did you ever climb a mountain with a dog team?" queried Joey Blake.
"Take my word, it's some