Boy Aviators Polar Dash | Page 4

letters with the nature of the stores to be
placed there so that those in charge of the supplies would have no
difficulty in laying their hands at once on whatever happened to be
needed. Each space was provided with a swiveled bar of stout timber
which could be pulled across the front of the opening in heavy weather,
and which prevented anything plunging out.
Captain Hazzard explained that the heavy stores were stowed forward
and the provisions aft. A gallery ran between the shelves from stem to
stern and provided ready access to any part of the holds. A system of
hot steam-pipes had been rigged in the holds so that in the antarctic an
equable temperature could be maintained. The great water tanks were
forward immediately below the forecastle. The inspection of the
engines came last. The Southern Cross had been fitted with new
water-tube boilers--two of them--that steamed readily on small fuel
consumption. Her engine was triple expansion, especially installed, as
the boilers had been, to take the place of the antiquated machinery
boasted by the old Thayer.
"Hoot, mon, she's as fine as a liner," commented old MacKenzie, the
"chief," who had taken charge of the boys on this part of their

expedition over the vessel, which was destined to be their home for
many months.
"Some day," said Frank, "every vessel will be equipped with gasoline
motors and all this clumsy arrangement of boilers and complicated
piping will be done away with."
The old Scotch engineer looked at him queerly.
"Oh, ay," he sniffed, "and some day we'll all go to sea in pea-soup
bowls nae doot."
"Well, a man in Connecticut has built a schooner out of cement,"
declared Harry.
The engineer looked at him and slowly wiped his hands on a bit of
waste.
"I ken his head must be a muckle thicker nor that," was his comment, at
which both the boys laughed as they climbed the steel ladders that led
from the warm and oily regions to the deck. The engineer, with a
"dour" Scot's grin, gazed after them.
"Hoots-toots," he muttered to his gauges and levers, "the great ice has a
wonderful way with lads as cocksure as them twa."
CHAPTER II.
A MYSTERIOUS ROBBERY.
Their inspection of the Southern Cross completed, the delighted boys
accompanied Captain Hazzard back to the main cabin, where he
unfolded before them a huge chart of the polar regions.
The chart was traced over in many places with tiny red lines which
made zig-zags and curves over the blankness of the region south of the
eightieth parallel.

"These lines mark the points reached by different explorers," explained
the captain. "See, here is Scott's furthest south, and here the most recent
advance into south polar regions, that of Sir Ernest Shackleton. In my
opinion Shackleton might have reached his goal if he had used a motor
sledge, capable of carrying heavy weights, and not placed his sole
dependence on ponies."
The boys nodded; Frank had read the explorer's narrative and realized
that what Captain Hazzard said was in all probability correct.
"It remains for your expedition to carry the Stars and Stripes further to
the southward yet," exclaimed Frank, enthusiastically, as Captain
Hazzard rolled up the map.
"Not only for us," smiled the captain; "we have a rival in the field."
"A rival expedition?" exclaimed Frank.
"Exactly. Some time this month a Japanese expedition under Lieutenant
Saki is to set out from Yokahama for Wilkes Land.
"They are to be towed by a man-of-war until they are in the polar
regions so as to save the supply of coal on the small steamer they are
using," went on the captain. "Everything has been conducted with the
utmost secrecy and it is their intention to beat us there if
possible--hence all this haste."
"How did our government get wind of the fact that the Japs are getting
ready another expedition?" inquired Frank, somewhat puzzled.
"By means of our secret service men. I don't doubt that the Japanese
secret service men in this country have also notified their government
of our expedition. England also is in the race but the Scott expedition
will not be ready for some time yet."
"You think, then, that the Japs have secret agents keeping track of us?"
was Frank's next question.

The captain's reply was cut short by a loud crash. They all started up at
the interruption. So intent had they been in their conversation that they
had not noticed the Jap steward standing close behind them and his soft
slippers had prevented them hearing his approach. The crash had been
caused by a metal tray he had let drop. He now stood with as much
vexation on his impassive countenance as it ever was possible for it to
betray.
"What on earth