Page:The frozen North; an account of Arctic exploration for use in schools (IA frozennorthaccou00hort).pdf/148

 One morning he was awakened by Sir Baden-Powell knocking at his door. "Come down immediately," said Sir Baden; "a man wishes to see you." Nansen hurriedly dressed and ran below.

There stood the manager of the telegraph office. The manager handed Nansen a telegram, which he opened with trembling fingers. It read as follows:—

"Fram arrived in good condition. All well on board. Am going to Tromsö. Welcome home. O. S."

Nansen nearly fainted with excitement and relief from his terrible anxiety. Sir Baden shouted with joy. Johansen smiled until his face looked like a full moon. As soon as the good news of the Fram's return became known, the general rejoicing in Hammerfest spread to all parts of the world.

Nansen's daring expedition to the North had ended successfully, and without the loss of a single life. Although Nansen had not reached the pole, he had come within two hundred and sixty-one miles of it. This was two hundred miles nearer than any previous explorer had penetrated. The theory of the southeast current was proved to be correct, for the Fram had drifted into a high latitude, and then out into the Atlantic between Spitzbergen and Greenland. If the Fram had entered the ice pack three hundred miles farther east, Nansen believes that she would have drifted in a course parallel to the one she actually followed. This course would have carried her over the pole.