24 THE START FOR THE POLE 



it, the weather was so tliick. But all went well till we had 

 come thirteen and a half miles. Then Hanssen had to 

 cross a crevasse a yard wide, and in doing it he was un- 

 lucky enough to catch the point of his ski in the traces 

 of the hindmost dogs, and fall right across the crevasse. 

 This looked unpleasant. The dogs were across, and a 

 foot or two on the other side, but the sledge was right 

 over the crevasse, and had twisted as Hanssen fell, so that 

 a httle more would bring it into line with the crevasse, 

 and then, of course, down it would go. The dogs had 

 quickly scented the fact that their lord and master was 

 for the moment incapable of administering a "confirma- 

 tion," and they did not let slip the golden opportunity. 

 Like a lot of roaring tigers, the whole team set upon each 

 other and fought till the hair flew. This naturally pro- 

 duced short, sharp jerks at the traces, so that the sledge 

 worked round more and more, and at the same time the 

 dogs, in the heat of the combat, were coming nearer 

 and nearer to the brink. If this went on, all was 

 irretrievably lost. One of us jumped the crevasse, 

 went into the middle of the struggling team, and, 

 fortunately, got them to stop. At the same time, 

 Wisting threw a line to Hanssen and hauled him out 

 of his unpleasant position — although, I thought to 

 myself, as we went on: I wonder whether Hanssen 

 did not enjoy the situation? Stretched across a giddy 

 abyss, with the prospect of slipping down it at any 

 moment — that was just what he would like. We 



