12 THE START FOR THE POLE 



went on; "if we can't do it, we can't." I was weak, 

 and allowed myself to be persuaded, and away we went 

 among the haycocks. I could see how Hanssen was 

 enjoying himself; this was just what he wanted. We 

 went faster and faster. Curiously enough, we passed 

 several of these formations without noticing anything, 

 and began to hope that we should get through. Then 

 suddenly Hanssen's three leading dogs disappeared, and 

 the others stopped abruptly. He got them hauled up 

 without much trouble and came over. We others, who 

 were following, crossed without accident, but our further 

 progress seemed doubtful, for after a few more paces 

 the same three dogs fell in again. We were now in 

 exactly the same kind of place as before; crevasses ran 

 in every direction, like a broken pane of glass. I had 

 had enough, and would take no more part in this death- 

 ride. I announced decisively that we must turn back, 

 follow our tracks, and go round it all. Hansen looked 

 quite disappointed. " Well," he said, " but we shall be 

 over it directly." "I dare say we shall," I replied; 

 " but we must go back first." This was evidently hard 

 on him; there was one formation in particular that 

 attracted him, and he wanted to try his strength with 

 it. It was a pressure-mass that, as far as appearance 

 went, might just as well have been formed out in the 

 drift-ice. It looked as if it was formed of four huge 

 lumps of ice raised on end against each other. We 

 knew what it contained without examination — a yawn- 



