92 Chapter III. 



like this before anything has been accomplished. There 

 is an old saying : 



" At eve the day shall be praised, 

 The wife when she is burnt, 

 The sword when tried, 

 The woman when married, 

 The ice when passed over, 

 Ale when drunk." 



I 



Most touching was the interest and sympathy with which 

 these poor fisher- folk and peasants greeted us. It often 

 set me wondering. I felt they followed us with fervent 

 eagerness. I remember one day it was north in 

 Helgeland an old woman was standing waving and 

 waving to us on a bare crag. Her cottage lay some 

 distance inland. " I wonder if it can really be us she is 

 waving to," I said to the pilot, who was standing beside 

 me. " You may be sure it is," was the answer. " But 

 how can she know who we are ? " " Oh ! they know all 

 about the Fram up here, in every cabin, and they will 

 be on the look-out for you as you come back, I can tell 

 you," he answered. Ay, truly, it is a responsible task 

 we are undertaking, when the whole nation are with us 

 like this. What if the thing should turn out a huge 

 disappointment ! 



In the evening I would sit and look around lonely 

 huts lay scattered here and there on points and islets. 

 Here the Norwegian people wear out their lives in the 



