II

           Popularimagination,Ijudge,respondedactivelytoourwirelessbulletinsofLake’sstartnorthwestwardintoregionsnevertroddenbyhumanfootorpenetratedbyhumanimagination, thoughwedidnotmentionhiswildhopesofrevolutionizingtheentiresciencesofbiologyandgeology. HispreliminarysledgingandboringjourneyofJanuary11thto18thwithPabodieandfiveothers-marredbythelossoftwodogsinanupsetwhencrossingoneofthegreatpressureridgesintheice-hadbroughtupmoreandmoreoftheArchaeanslate;andevenIwasinterestedbythesingularprofusionofevidentfossilmarkingsinthatunbelievablyancientstratum. Thesemarkings,however,wereofveryprimitivelifeformsinvolvingnogreatparadoxexceptthatanylifeformsshouldoccurinrockasdefinitelypre-Cambrianasthisseemedtobe; henceIstillfailedtoseethegoodsenseofLake’sdemandforaninterludeinourtime-savingprogram-aninterluderequiringtheuseofallfourplanes,manymen,andthewholeoftheexpedition’smechanicalapparatus. Ididnot,intheend,vetotheplan,thoughIdecidednottoaccompanythenorthwestwardpartydespiteLake’spleaformygeologicaladvice. Whiletheyweregone,IwouldremainatthebasewithPabodieandfivemenandworkoutfinalplansfortheeastwardshift. Inpreparationforthistransfer,oneoftheplaneshadbeguntomoveupagoodgasolinesupplyfromMcMurdoSound;butthiscouldwaittemporarily. Ikeptwithmeonesledgeandninedogs,sinceitisunwisetobeatanytimewithoutpossibletransportationinanutterlytenantlessworldofaeon-longdeath. 

           Lake’ssubexpeditionintotheunknown,aseveryonewillrecall,sentoutitsownreportsfromtheshortwavetransmittersontheplanes; thesebeingsimultaneouslypickedupbyourapparatusatthesouthernbaseandbytheArkhamatMcMurdoSound,whencetheywererelayedtotheoutsideworldonwavelengthsuptofiftymeters.