290 A DAY AT FRAMHEIM 



done, I must say but Hassel ought to have seen it! 

 Amundsen had told me something of their arrange- 

 ments on the way up, and I knew Hassel was re- 

 sponsible for coal, wood, and oil. 



The water-pot had been filled the evening before, 

 and he had only to push it to one side to make room 

 for the kettle, and this did not take long to boil with 

 the heat he had set going. The fire burned up so that 

 it roared in the chimney this fellow is not short of 

 fuel. Strange, what a hurry he is in to get that coffee 

 ready! I thought breakfast was at eight, and it is 

 now not more than a quarter past six. He grinds the 

 coffee till his cheeks shake to and fro incessantly. If 

 the quality is in proportion to the quantity, it must be 

 good enough. ' Devil take it ' -Lindstrom's morning 

 greeting ' this coffee-mill is not worth throwing to the 

 pigs! Might just as well chew the beans. It wouldn't 

 take so long." And he is right; after a quarter of an 

 hour's hard work he has only ground just enough. Now 

 it is half -past six. On with the coffee ! Ah, what a per- 

 fume ! I would give something to know where Amund- 

 sen got it from. Meanwhile the cook has taken out his 

 pipe, and is smoking away gaily on an empty stomach; 

 it does not seem to do him any harm. Hullo! there's 

 the coffee boiling over. 



While the coffee was boiling and Lindstrom smoked, 

 I was still wondering why he was in such a hurry to get 

 the coffee ready. You ass! I thought; can't you see? 



