244 Chapter VI. 



must be badly wounded. Johansen and Henriksen 

 heard it groaning in the distance when they were out 

 on the ice again afterwards to fetch a knife they had 

 left lying where the dead one had lain. The creature 

 had been dragged on board and skinned at once, before 

 it had time to stiffen in the cold. 



"Sunday, October I5th. To our surprise, the ice 

 did not slacken away much during last night, after the 

 violent pressure ; and what was worse, there was no 

 indication of slackening in the morning, now that we 

 were quite ready to go. Slight signs of it showed 

 themselves a little later, upon which I gave orders to 

 get up steam ; and while this was being done, I took 

 a stroll on the ice, to look for traces of yesterday 

 evening. I found tracks not only of the bear that had 

 been killed and of a larger one that mio'ht be the 



<!!? <_> 



mother, but of a third, which must have been badly 

 wounded, as it had sometimes dragged itself on its 

 hindquarters, and had left a broad track of blood. After 

 following the traces for a good way and discovering 

 that I had no weapon to despatch the animal with but 

 my own fists, I thought it would be as well to return 

 to the ship to get a gun and companions who would 

 help to drag the bear back. I had also some small 

 hope that in the meantime the ice might have slackened, 

 so that, in place of going after game, we might go 

 north with the Fram. But no such luck ! So I put on 

 my snowshoes and set off after our bear, some of the 



