130 FROM MADEIRA TO THE BARRIER 



finished they were all bright with smiles. I was now 

 sure of the answer I should get when I finally asked 

 each man whether he was willing to go on, and as the 

 names were called, every single man had his "Yes" ready. 

 Although, as I have said, I had expected it to turn out 

 as it did, it is difficult to express the joy I felt at seeing 

 how promptly my comrades placed themselves at my 

 service on this momentous occasion. It appeared, how- 

 ever, that I was not the only one who was pleased. 

 There was so much life and good spirits on board 

 that evening that one would have thought the work 

 was successfully accomplished instead of being hardly 

 begun. 



For the present, however, there was not much time 

 to spare for discussing the news. We had first to see 

 about getting away; afterwards there would be many 

 months before us. Two hours' grace was allowed, in 

 which every man could write to his people at home 

 about what had just passed. The letters were probably 

 not very long ones; at all events, they were soon 

 finished. The mail was handed over to my brother 



7 



to take to Christiania, from whence the letters were 

 sent to their respective destinations; but this did not 

 take place until after the alteration of our plans had 

 been published in the Press. 



It had been easy enough to tell my comrades the 

 news, and they could not have given it a better recep- 

 tion; it was another question what people at home 



