Accompanying the daring explorer were two other venturesome men, Mr. Strindberg and Mr. Fraenkel.

Stepping into the car, they gave the word to have the balloon cut loose.  They rose rapidly till they were about six hundred feet in the air, but at this altitude a cross-current struck them, and they were driven earthward again until they almost touched a projecting rock.

It was feared that the attempt had failed, but the three men in the car set to work vigorously throwing out some of the sand-bags that had been put in the car for ballast, to steady it, and the balloon soon rose again and continued on her course.

The weather was clear, and the Eagle, as the balloon was called, was visible for an hour.  It appeared to be moving at the rate of twenty-two miles an hour, and to be taking the exact direction that Mr. Andree had wished that it should.

The adventurers expected to reach the Pole in two or three days, but had prepared themselves for a trip of as many months.

Nothing has as yet been heard or seen of the balloon.  Russian steamers have been sent along the coast of Siberia in search of it, and it is hoped that some news may be gleaned through the circulars that the Czar caused to be sent among all the peoples around the Polar regions, asking them to watch for the balloon, and report it as soon as seen (see page 860).

[Illustration:  A Homing Pigeon]

A good deal of excitement was caused by the capture of a carrier-pigeon in Norway.

Stamped on the bird’s wings was “North Pole, 142 W. 47.62.”

It was thought at first that it was one of the birds which had been taken by Andree on his expedition, and that the North Pole had been discovered.

It was found, however, that Andree’s birds were all marked “Andree, A.D. 1897,” and after a few days of excitement and wonder, it came out that the bird belonged to a German pigeon-flying society, and that it had been released in Heligoland.

Carrier-pigeons are a particular breed of pigeon which have the wonderful quality of flying home no matter how far away they are carried.

Societies have been formed to fly these wonderful birds, and they have been taken hundreds of miles away, over seas, to test this strange quality.

The result has always been the same:  the moment they are released they circle round and round for a time, as if trying to make out their bearings, and then fly off straight for home.

This attribute has made them of great value to man in many ways.

In times of war, messages have been sent by their aid.

A man has made his way out of a besieged city, taking one of the birds with him, and by its aid has been able to send word back that he has reached his friends and will bring the needed help.

The Emperor of Germany has just got himself into trouble over carrier-pigeons.

Wishing to see for how long a distance they could be relied on in case of war, he sent a messenger over to England, who carried with him a great number of these clever birds.