human
My friends, he said,
gpt
I wish, he continued,
human
All right! talk away while we are alone,
gpt
In a month, or six weeks at the outside, the time for making distant excursions will come again. Have you thought of what we had better undertake in summer?
human
Have you, captain?
gpt
Have I? I may say that not an hour of my life passes without revolving in my mind my one cherished purpose. I suppose not a man among you intends to retrace his steps?
human
For my own part, even if I must go alone, I will push on to the North Pole. Never were men so near it before, for we are not more than 360 miles distant at most, and I will not lose such an opportunity without making every attempt to reach it, even though it be an impossibility. What are your views, Doctor?
gpt
Your own, Hatteras.
human
And yours, Johnson?
gpt
Like the Doctor's.
human
And yours, Bell?
gpt
Captain, replied the carpenter,
human
We can return after we have discovered the Pole quite as well as before, and even better. Our difficulties will not increase, for as we near the Pole we get away from the point of greatest cold. We have fuel and provisions enough. There is nothing to stop us, and we should be culpable, in my opinion, if we allowed ourselves to abandon the project.
gpt
Very well, captain, I'll go along with you.
human
That's right; I never doubted you, said Hatteras.
gpt
We shall succeed, and England will have all the glory.
human
But there is an American among us!
gpt
I know it!
human
We cannot leave him behind,
gpt
No, we can't,
human
And he will be sure to go too.
gpt
Yes, he will go too; but who will command?
human
You, captain.
gpt
And if you all obey my orders, will the Yankee refuse?
human
I shouldn't think so; but suppose he should, what can be done?
gpt
He and I must fight it out, then.
human
By the coast, as far as possible,
gpt
But what if we find open water, as is likely enough?
human
Well, we'll go across it.
gpt
But we have no boat.
human
Perhaps, suggested Bell,
gpt
Never!
human
Never!
gpt
Never! reiterated Hatteras.
human
A boat made out of an American ship would be an American!
gpt
But, captain----