the sixtieth parallel it had been adjusted.

"Well, boys," announced Captain Hazzard one day at noon, "we are now
not more than three hundred miles from the Great Barrier."

"Beyond which lies the polar mystery," exclaimed Frank.

Captain Hazzard glanced at him quickly.

"Yes, the polar mystery," he repeated, "perhaps now is as good a time
as any for telling you boys the secret of this voyage. Come to my
cabin and I will tell you one of the objects of our expedition, which
hitherto has been kept a secret from all but the officers."

The excitement of the boys may be imagined as they followed the
captain to his cabin and seated themselves on a seat arranged above
the radiator.

"It's the ship of Olaf," whispered Billy to Harry.

"Of course," began Captain Hazzard, "the main object of this
expedition is to plant the flag of the United States at 'furthest
south,' even if not at the pole itself."

"And to capture a South Polar flea and a fur-bearing pollywog," put in
the professor, who had included himself in the invitation to the boys.

"Exactly," smiled the captain, "but there is still another object
scarcely of less importance than the ones that I and the professor,"
he added with a smile, "have enumerated."