274 Chapter VI. 



calling out to know what has happened. Pettersen rushes 

 up the companion ladder in such wild haste that he 

 bursts open the door in the face of the mate, who is 

 standing in the passage holding back ' Kvik,' who has 

 also started in fright from the bed in the chart-room, 

 where she is expecting her confinement. On deck we 

 could discover nothing, except that the ice was in 

 motion, and seemed to be sinking slowly away from the 

 ship. Great piles had been packed up under the stern 

 this morning and yesterday. The explosion was probably 

 caused by a violent pressure suddenly loosening all the 

 ice along the ship's side, the ship at the same time 

 taking a strong list to port. There was no cracking of 

 wood to be heard, so that, whatever it was, the Fram 

 cannot have been injured. But it was cold, and we 

 crept down again. 



"As we were sitting at supper, about six o'clock, 

 pressure suddenly began. The ice creaked and roared 

 so along the ship's sides close by us that it was not 

 possible to carry on any connected conversation ; we had 

 to scream, and all agreed with Nordahl when he 



o 



remarked that it would be much pleasanter if the 

 pressure would confine its operations to the bow instead 

 of coming bothering us here aft. Amidst the noise we 

 caught every now and again from the organ a note or 

 two of Kjerulfs melody : ' I could not sleep for the 

 nightingale's voice.' The hurly-burly outside lasted 

 for about twenty minutes, and then all was still. 



