480 Chapter VIII. 



the stars high overhead in the clear sky. In the south 

 is a smouldering aurora arch, which from time to time 



O 



sends up streamers ; a constant restless flickering. 



"We have been talking a little about this expedition, 

 Sverdrup and I. When we were out on the ice in the after- 

 noon he suddenly said : ' Yes, next October you will, per- 

 haps, not be on board the Fraw' To which I had to answer 

 that, unless the winter turned out badly, I probably should 

 not. But still I cannot believe in this rightly myself. 



" Every night I am at home in my dreams, but when 

 the morning breaks I must again, like Helge, gallop 

 back on the pale horse by the way of the reddening 

 dawn, not to the joys of Valhalla, but to the realm of 

 eternal ice :- 



" For thce alone Sigrun, 

 Of the Saeva Mountain, 

 Must Helge swim 

 In the dew of sorrow." 



"Friday, October i2th. A regular storm has been 

 blowing from the E.S.E. since yesterday evening. Last 

 night the mill went to bits ; the teeth broke off one of 

 the toothed wheels, which has been considerably worn by 

 a year's use. The velocity of the wind was over 

 40 feet this mornino; and it is long since I have heard 



o ' o 



it blow as it is doing this evening. We must be making 



O O O 



good progress north just now. Perhaps October is not 

 to be such a bad month as I expected from our experi- 

 ences of last year. Was out snow-shoeing before 



