A BAD DAY 97 



fine little haycock, that looked as if it would serve the 

 purpose well. Hassel raised his axe and gave a good 

 sound blow; the axe met with no resistance, and went 

 in up to the haft. The haycock was hollow. As the 

 axe was pulled out the surrounding part gave way, and 

 one could hear the pieces of ice falHng down through 

 the dark hole. It appeared, then, that two feet from 

 our door we had a most convenient way down into the 

 cellar. Hassel looked as if he enjoyed the situation. 

 "Black as a sack," he smiled; "couldn't see any 

 bottom." Hanssen was beaming; no doubt he would 

 have liked the tent a little nearer. The material 

 provided by the haycock was of the best quality, and 

 well adapted for cooking purposes. 



The next day, December 1, was a very fatiguing 

 one for us all. From early morning a blinding blizzard 

 raged from the south-east, with a heavy fall of snow. 

 The going was of the very worst kind — polished ice. 

 I stumbled forward on ski, and had comparatively 

 easy work. The drivers had been obliged to take off 

 their ski and put them on the loads, so as to walk by the 

 side, support the sledges, and give the dogs help when 

 they came to a difficult place; and that was pretty 

 often, for on this smooth ice surface there were a 

 number of small scattered sastrugi, and these con- 

 sisted of a kind of snow that reminded one more of 

 fish-glue than of anything else when the sledges came 

 in contact with it. The dogs could get no hold with 



