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Show Discovery By GRANT M. S ASSAM AN 6 alcClurc NflwKpaiiPr Syudlcala. WNU Sorvlce. ON TIIK tenth day Lieutenant Annister sighted the snowcapped snow-capped peaks looming high above the southernmost limits of the Ice Carrier. Two days later he was able to see the vertical cliffs slashing slash-ing their black and scarlet Hanks across the white wilderness of Antarctic Ant-arctic suow. It would take three or four days more to reach Captain Lainpson's stricken party at the foot of Mawson's Glacier. Annister, In a steady lope behind the skimming 6ledge, cracked his long whip at the Malernuto leader and swore. The ninety-mile gale tore the oath from his lips and shredded It Into a sullen echo behind be-hind him. For years Captain Lnmpson had been basking In the sunlight of public pub-lic adoration. Adulation from the mobs, ovations from the press, medals med-als from congress! To him had gone the credit for being the first explorer explor-er to cross Antarctica from sea to sea. Yes, and he was the discoverer of the Luber range, the Lnmpson Inlet, In-let, the Haul A grandstand player, that's what he was! And It was typical of the American populace to make a hero out of a handsome stripling whose courage and resourcefulness had never been put to the test. Day after day Annister plodded southward. He came at last to a weird region of crevasses and tumbled tum-bled Ice blocks. Presently he found the portable hut Lampson had erected erect-ed before leading bis expedition up to the Polar Plateau. Annister baited his team at the door, his wind-chapped forehead puckering in a frown of puzzlement at the snow heaped In front of It. He kicked the snow away from the entrance, pushed the door Inward, and stood for a moment squinting at the Interior darkness. He went In then, pulling the door shut behind be-hind him. When his eyes were adjusted to the gloom he saw two forms, encased en-cased In sleeping bags, lying Inert upon the floor. In a corner he saw a gaunt-faced, bewhlskered man rise weakly before a Primus stove. It was Lampson. A sneer sprang toAnnlster's frost-cracked frost-cracked lips, but It died unut-tered unut-tered . . . The dull misery and grief In the young captain's eyes was terrible to see. He was staring star-ing Idiotically at the lieutenant After a moment his lips began to move, soundlessly. Then, when his voice came, It was faint and hollow, hol-low, as If he were muttering to himself, him-self, "Steepton made It?" Annister wet his lips with his tongue. He found himself suddenly drained of anger, bitterness, resentment. re-sentment. nis glance wandered to the still figures on the floor. Divination came like a knife thrust then. Dralmor and Kent were dead ! They'd been dead for days, possibly for weeks. Lnmpson, too, was dead dead save for the fact that he still stood upon his feet! "Praliner and Kent?" asked Annister, An-nister, turning. "What happened?" The young captain pivoted slowly until he was looking at the motionless motion-less figures. "On the Plateau," he murmured. "Dralmer fell In a crevasse. Concussion. Kent lost both feet with frost bite. Both-died. Both-died. Cut I sent Steepton home to the base." He still spoke In a curiously dead voice, like one uttering his thoughts aloud. Annlster's mouth dropped open, ne stared at the younger man Incredulously. In-credulously. Lampson had not sent for aid! ne had only "sent Steepton Steep-ton home." Good Cod! There had been food and doss enough to get one man throush and Lampson had chosen to die with the two he couldn't save! Annister's hard face softened, and he felt hla heart churn within him. DurlDg countless hours the youns captain had waited for death to end his suffering and loneliness. Day after day, night after night he hud listened to the screamlDg wind, endured en-dured the awful silences. lie was regarding Annister fixedly, fixed-ly, yet with a vacant stare that seemed to have no definite focus. Impulsively Annister went to him, threw his arm about the other's waist. Under the deceptive furs he felt the sword thluncsa of Lamp-son's Lamp-son's body. Not until then did the glaze go from the captain's eyes, nis upper lip twitched, and a flicker of awareness, aware-ness, of recognition, passed across his face. lie raised a thin hand, placed It exploringly upon Annlster's Annls-ter's arm. The Angers tightened weakly, experimentally, before he whispered :"AnnIster Tom? Tlere?" lie Blumped in the lieutenant's arms. YIth a muttered growl of pity Annister lowered him to the floor. "You're damned right, I'm here!" lie turned and started for the door. He'd have to get some fire and food he stopped suddenly and stared at a map lying outspread upon the table. A new mountain range had been marked upon It and in email blue letter8 were printed the words : The Annister Mountains." The lieutenant wheeled slowly and looked at the unconscious form of Captain Lampson. "A new discovery, dis-covery, eh? Thanks, old man." He wagged hla head. "But It's nothing compared to what I've discovered 1" |