d in the regular auction hall, where usually only such

cessary when a part of our globe was going to be sold? How could this piece of the world be compared with any movable object when it was the most fixed thing on the face of the earth? Really, this seemed to be quite illogical, but it

r hand, there had been such a sale in the past already. One portion of our planet had been sold in the auction

ch had inhabitants, only a few miles away from the coast, with forests, water, productive and solid, with fields and prairies, in condition to be cultivated, and not a vague wild region of water covered with eternal ice, defended by impenetrable icebergs, which very

hardly fail to

rope quickly began to follow. Divided as the American citizens were into those of New England, those of the Middle States, Western States, and Eastern States, there was only one wish, and that was for the well-being of their country. But there was still a great deal of uncertainty. It was neither Russia, nor Sweden, nor Norway, nor Denmark, nor Holland, the chances of which they dreaded most. But it was England, w

mmenced at

large sums of money at the disposition of Major Donellan. "At the office of the Admiralty," observed one of the New York papers, "the Admirals pushed the sale as much as possible, as they hoped to figure conspicuously in the expeditions fitted out." How much truth there was in these stories no one knew. But the most conservative people in Baltimore thought that it was hardly possible that the amount of money at the

ce set apart for the public was so much filled that there was danger that the building would fall in. There was only a small space left empty, surrounded by a

standing together like soldiers on a battle-field. And were they not really going to battle for the possession of the North Pole? On the Ameri

xt steamer. Where were the capitalists represented by this man, who, perhaps, was going to start

Both were there, lost in the crowd, without any special place, surrounded by some members of the Baltimore Gun Club, friends of Mr

th Pole. Neither could they examine it nor look at it with a magnifying glass or touch it with their fingers to see whether the plating was real or only artificial,

t auction. Seventeen degrees below the Polar Circle was a red line, clearly seen on the 84th parallel, which marked the section on the globe put up for sale. It appeared that there was only water

already arrived, and was walking up and down as agitated as a bear in a cage. Both were glad at the prospect, as they thought that the sale would run up to an en

ts. Then he let his eyeglasses fall on his breast and said in as quiet a voice as possible: "Gentlemen, according to the plan of the Federal government, and thanks to the acquiescence given it by the European powers, we will sell a great fixed mass, situated around the North Pole, all that is within the limits of the 84th parallel, continents, waters, bays, islands, icebergs, solid parts or liquid, whatever they may be." Then, turning

ical standpoint, this region after being sold to the highest bidder is absolutely his own beyond any dispute, and the other countries have no right of possession whatever as long as the territory is not outside of the limits of the 84th degree north latitude." Again was this singular phrase mentioned at a very important moment. Some laughed at it, others considered it very seriously. "The bids are open," said the public auctioneer in

aid Jan Harald, f

aid Col. Boris K

ved his lips, which were pressed tightly together. On the other side Wm. S. Forster kept an impenetrable dumbness. Even at this mome

eated Flint, in a voice which rese

ad they already exhausted the credit allowed them at the begi

Who goes higher? Forty cents; why, the North Pole is worth m

ts and the Hollandish delegate

Holland to the sale started a murmur of satisfaction. It seemed that the persons who had nothing in

t imperceptible negative sign, kept him silent. Mr. William S. Forster, seeming very much interested in his paper, ma

oneer. "Let me see. Nobody says more. Must I knock down the North Pole at such a price?" and as he spok

an Harald, with a voice

ately responded

id Flint, whose eyes wer

hundred cents," said he with a short and sharp tone, becoming in one who re

the outside crowd. The bidders for America looked at each other with disappointment; $407,000; this was

t the proper moment had come. Their faces plainly showed that before the "100 cents" of Major Donellan, they had decided to quit the battlefield. "One hundred cents the square mile," said the auctioneer for the second time, "One hundred, one hundred, one hundred," cr

liam S. Forster, without even raising his ey

long neck turned in all directions and he shrugged his shoulders, while his lips worked with great excitement. He tried to

d forty," said

and sixty,"

ty," said the Major,

and ninety,"

e of Great Britain. With this he crossed his arms

t his hairs one by one. Auctioneer Gilmour let a few moments run by. They seemed as long as centuries. The codfish merchant continued reading his paper and making pencil figures which had evidently nothing at all to do wth [with] the qu

and his hammer fell on the table before him. "One hundred and ninety-nine," cried the he

t. It could easily be seen by their anxious faces how much they tried to supress their violent emotion. Why was Forster hesitating to outbid Major Donellan? As for the imperturbable Forster, he blew

erwhelmed, ruined, disappointed, had fallen into a seat by the side of Dean Toodrink, who himself was not in a much better condition. Two tho

he property of the European powers. But this was his last effort. The Major opened his mouth, closed it again, and in his person England sat down on itself. "Hip, hip, hurrah for the United States," roared the winners for victorious America. And in one instant the news of the purchase ran all over Baltimore, and by telegraph all over the United States, and