186 ON THE BARRIER 



so poorly, but such is the way of the world. With a 

 final bow it ended its days in the frying-pan. 



On January 18 we began bringing up the materials 

 for the hut, and as soon as they arrived the builders 

 began to put them up. It is no exaggeration to say 

 that everything went like a well-oiled machine. One 

 sledge after another drove up to the site and discharged 

 its load. The dogs worked splendidly, and their drivers 

 no less, and as fast as the materials arrived our future 

 home rose into the air. All the parts had been marked 

 before leaving Norway, and were now discharged from 

 the ship in the order in which they were wanted. Be- 

 sides which, Stubberud himself had built the house, so 

 that he knew every peg of it. It is with gladness and 

 pride that I look back upon those days. With gladness, 

 because no discord was ever heard in the course of this 

 fairly severe labour; with pride, because I was at the 

 head of such a body of men. For men they were, in 

 the true sense of the word. Everyone knew his duty, 

 and did it. 



During the night the wind dropped and the morning 

 brought the finest weather, calm and clear. It was a 

 pleasure to work on days like this. Both men and dogs 

 were in the best of spirits. On these journeys between 

 the ship and the station we were constantly hunting 

 seals, but we only took those that came in our way. 

 We never had to go far to find fresh meat. We used 

 to come suddenly upon a herd of them; they were then 



