The Start. 87 



aft on to the half-deck. I am afraid the shares in the 

 expedition stood rather low at this moment. Then all 

 at once, when things were about at their worst with 

 us, we sighted a bark looming out of the fc> ahead. 



o <^ *j 



There it lay with royals and all sails set, as snugly and 

 peacefully as if nothing was the matter, rocking gently 

 on the sea. It made one feel almost savage to look at 

 it. Visions of the Flying Dutchman and other devilry 

 flashed through my mind. 



Terrible disaster in the cook's galley! Mogstad 

 goes in and sees the whole wall sprinkled over with 

 dark red stains rushes off to Nordahl, and says he 

 believes Juell has shot himself through despair at the 

 insufferable heat he complains so about. " Great 



revolver disaster on board the Frani ! " 



On close inspection, however, the stains appeared 

 to proceed from a box of chocolate that had upset in 

 the cupboard. 



Owing to the fog we dared not go too near land, so 

 kept out to sea, till at last, towards morning, the fog 

 lifted somewhat, and the pilot found his bearings 

 between Farsund and Hummerdus. We put into 

 Lister Fjord, intending to anchor there and get into 

 better sea trim ; but as the weather improved we went 

 on our way. It was not till the afternoon that we 

 steered into Ekersund, owing to thick weather and a 

 stiff breeze, and anchored in Hovland's Bay, where our 



