ENTERING THE HUT 287 



turned out that we were right. The wind we have had 

 has nearly always come from the east, when there was 

 any strength in it, and against such winds the slope 

 provides an excellent shelter. If we had placed our 

 house over there where the depot stands, we should 

 have felt the weather much more severely. But now 

 you must be careful when we come near to the house, 

 so that the dogs don't hear us. We have now about 

 a hundred and twenty of them, and if they once start 

 making a noise, then good-bye to the peaceful Polar 

 morning. Now we are there, and in such daylight 

 as there is, you can see the immediate surroundings. 

 You can't see the house, you say. No; I can quite 

 believe it. That chimney sticking out of the snow is 

 all there is left above the Barrier. This trap-door we 

 are coming to you might take for a loose piece of board- 

 ing thrown out on the snow, but that is not the case : it 

 is the way down into our home. You must stoop a bit 

 when you go down into the Barrier. Everything is on 

 a reduced scale here in the Polar regions; we can't 

 afford to be extravagant. Now you have four steps 

 down; take care, they are rather high. Luckily we 

 have come in time to see the day started. I see the 

 passage-lamp is not yet lighted, so Lindstrom has not 

 turned out. Take hold of the tail of my anorak and 

 follow me. This is a passage in the snow that we are 

 in, leading to the pent-house. Oh! I'm so sorry; you 

 must forgive me! Did you hurt yourself? I quite 



