244 DEPOT JOURNEYS 



and were able to give the dogs a double ration. The 

 distance covered was twenty-one and three-quarter 

 miles. The surface about here had changed in our 

 absence; great, high snow- waves were now to be seen 

 in all directions. On one of the cases in the depot 

 Bjaaland had written a short message, besides which 

 we found the signal arranged with Hassel a block of 

 snow on the top of the depot to show that they had 

 gone by, and that all was well. The cold continued 

 persistently. The following day we had -41'8 F. 

 Ola and Jens, the two survivors of the Three 

 Musketeers," had to be put an end to that day; it was 

 a shame to keep them alive any longer. And with 

 them the " Three Musketeers " disappear from this 

 history. They were inseparable friends, these three; 

 all of them almost entirely black. At Flekkero, near 

 Christiansand, where we kept our dogs for several 

 weeks before taking them on board, Rasmus had got 

 loose, and was impossible to catch. He always came 

 and slept with his two friends, unless he was being 

 hunted. We did not succeed in catching him until a 

 few days before we took them on board, and then he 

 was practically wild. They were all three tied up on 

 the bridge on board, where I was to have my team, 

 and from that day my closer acquaintance with the trio 

 is dated. They were not very civilly disposed for the 

 first month. I had to make my advances with a long 

 stick scratch them on the back. In this way I in- 



