The Spring- and Summer of 1894. 449 



I wanted to see what it was, but it seems to have 

 been nothing.' I went to the railings, and looked out. 

 ' I fancied it was a bear that was after our meat but 

 it was nothing.' As we stood there one of the dogs 

 came jogging along from the big hummock. ' Then 

 you see what you have shot at,' I said, laughing. ' I'm 

 bothered if it wasn't a dog!' he replied. 'Ice-bear' 

 it was, true enough, for so we called this dog. It 

 had seemed so large in the fog, scratching at the 

 meat-hummock. ' Did you aim at the dog and miss ? 

 That was a lucky chance ! ' ' No ! I simply fired at 

 random in that direction, for I wanted to see what it 

 was.' I went below and turned in ao-ain. At breakfast 



o 



to-day he had, of course, to run the gauntlet of some 

 sarcastic questions about his 'harmless thunder-bolt,' but 

 he parried them adroitly enough. 



"Tuesday, August 21. North latitude, 81 4*2'. 

 Strange how little alteration there is we drift a little to 

 the north, then a little to the south, and keep almost to 

 the same spot. But I believe, as I have believed all 

 along, since before we even set out, that we should be 

 away three years, or rather three winters and four 

 summers, neither more nor less, and that in about two 

 years' time from this present autumn we shall reach 

 home.* The approaching winter will drift us further, 



It was two years later to a day that the Fram put in at Skiervo, on 

 the coast of Norway. 



2 (i 



