NANSEN, THE MODERN VIKING 219 



ear, and the bear fell down dead between us. The only wound that Johansen 

 received was a slight scratch on the back of one hand, and we went on our way 

 well laden with fresh bear meat. 



"The bear must have followed our track like a cat, and, covered by the ice- 

 blocks, have slunk up while we were clearing the ice from the lane and had our 

 backs to him. We could see by the trail how it had crept over a small ridge 

 just behind us under cover of a mound by Johansen's kayak. While the latter, 

 without suspecting anything or looking rounds went back and stooped down to 

 pick up the hauling rope, he suddenly caught sight of an animal crouched up 

 at the end of the kayak, but thought it was Suggen (the dog) ; and before he 

 had time to realize that it was so big he received a cuff on the ear which made 

 him see fireworks, and over he went on his back. * * * j^ ^^^s just as the 

 bear was about to bite Johansen in the head that he uttered the memorable 

 words, 'Look sharp!' * * * Johansen let go his hold on the bear and 

 wiggled out, while the bear gave Suggen a cuff which made him howl lustily. 

 Then Kaifas (the other dog) got a slap on the nose. Meanwhile Johansen had 

 struggled to his feet and wdien I fired had got his gun, which was sticking out 

 of the kayak hole." 



After their long journey across the frozen seas, Nansen and Johansen 

 reached land near the 8ist parallel, only to become imprisoned in the ice. This 

 forced them to winter many miles from the Fram. So hardy were they, how- 

 ever, that they passed the winter in perfect health. Immense quantities of 

 game were near them, also, and they were able to get bear, walrus, at any time. 

 There were also quantities of foxes, "which almost every night," Nansen de- 

 clares, "constantly sat upon the roof of our hut, whence we could perpetually 

 hear their gnawing of our frozen meat. These foxes were of both the white 

 variety and the valuable dark-furred kind, and had we been so inclined we 

 could easily have laid by a store of valuable furs. Our supply of ammunition, 

 however, was not so large as to allow of our spending it upon them, for it 

 seemed to me tliat bears were the smallest game that could give us any return 

 for our cartridges. 



"At last came the spring, with sunshine and birds. How well I remember 

 that first evening, a few days before the sun had appeared above the horizon, 

 when we suddenly saw a flock of little auks sail past us along the mountains to 

 the north. It was like the first greeting from life and spring. Many followed 

 in their train, and soon the mountains around us swarmed with these little 



