DOG CONCERTS 121 



be lying perfectly still and quiet, when a single indi- 

 vidual, who for that occasion had taken upon himself 

 the part of leader of the chorus, would set up a long, 

 blood-curdling yowl. If they were left to themselves, 

 it was not long before the whole pack joined in, and 

 this infernal din was kept going at full steam for two or 

 three minutes. The only amusing thing about the enter- 

 tainment was its conclusion. They all stopped short at 

 the same instant, just as a well-trained chorus obeys the 

 baton of its conductor. Those of us, however, who 

 happened to be in our bunks, found nothing at all 

 amusing in these concerts, either in the finale or any- 

 thing else, for they were calculated to tear the soundest 

 sleeper from his slumbers. But if one only took care 

 to stop the leader in his efforts the whole affair was 

 nipped in the bud, and we usually succeeded in doing 

 this. If there were some who at first were anxious 

 about their night's rest, these fears were soon dispersed. 

 On leaving Norway we had ninety-seven dogs in all, 

 and of these no less than ten were bitches. This fact 

 justified us in expecting an increase of the canine popu- 

 lation on our voyage to the South, and our expectations 

 were very soon fulfilled. The first " happy event ' 

 occurred when we had been no more than three weeks 

 at sea. An incident of this kind may seem in itself of 

 no great importance; to us, living under conditions in 

 which one day was almost exactly like another, it was 

 more than enough to be an object of the greatest 



