Second Autumn in the Ice. 459 



" Another peaceful Sunday, with rest from work, and 

 a little reading. Out snow-shoeing to-day I crossed 

 several frozen-over lanes, and very slight packing has 

 begun here and there. I was stopped at last by a broad 

 open lane lying pretty nearly north and south ; at places 

 it was 400 to 500 yards across, and I saw no end to it 

 either north or south. The surface was good ; one got 

 along quickly, with no exertion at all when it was in the 

 direction of the wind. 



" This is undeniably a monotonous life. Sometimes it 

 feels to me like a long dark night, my life's ' Ragnarok.'^ 



dividing it into two ' The sun is darkened, the 



summers with it, all weather is weighty with woe ' ; snow 

 covers the earth, the wind whistles over the endless 

 plains, and for three years this winter lasts, till comes the 

 time for the great battle, and 'men tramp Hel's w r ay.' 

 There is a hard struggle betw y een life and death ; but 

 after that comes the reign of peace. The earth rises 

 from the sea again, and decks itself anew with verdure. 

 ' Torrents roar, eagles hover over them watching for fish 

 among the rocks,' and then ' Valhalla,' fairer than the 

 sun and long length of happy days. 



" Pettersen, who is cook this week, came in here this 

 evening, as usual, to get the bill of fare for next day. 

 When his business was done, he stood for a minute, and 

 then said that he had had such a strange dream last 



* ''Twilight of the gods." 



