ON BARE GROUND 39 



swing " ; at any rate, he was polite enough to let me 

 think so. 



Mount Betty offered no perpendicular crags or deep 

 precipices to stimulate our desire for climbing ; we only 

 had to take off our ski, and then we arrived at the top. 

 It consisted of loose screes, and was not an ideal pro- 

 menade for people who had to be careful of their boots. 

 It was a pleasure to set one's feet on bare ground again, 

 and we sat down on the rocks to enjoy the scene. The 

 rocks very soon made themselves felt, however, and 

 brought us to our feet again. We photographed each 

 other in " picturesque attitudes," took a few stones for 

 those who had not yet set foot on bare earth, and 

 strapped on our ski. The dogs, after having been so 

 eager to make for bare land when they first saw it, were 

 now not the least interested in it; they lay on the snow, 

 and did not go near the top. Between the bare ground 

 and the snow surface there was bright, blue-green ice, 

 showing that at times there was rimning water here. The 

 dogs did what they could to keep up with us on the 

 way down, but they were soon left behind. On our 

 return, we surprised our comrades with presents from 

 the country, but I fear they were not greatly appre- 

 ciated. I could hear such words as, " Norway — stones 

 — heaps of them," and I was able to put them together 

 and understand what was meant. The " presents " were 

 put in depot, as not absolutely indispensable on the 

 southern journey. 



