THE "FRAM" SIGHTED 267 



hardly be made of ice; but we had been taken in too 

 many times to make any remark about it. 



As the dogs now had a mark to go by, Johansen was 

 driving in front without my help ; I went by the side of 

 Stubberud's sledge. The man at my side kept staring 

 out to sea, without uttering a word. On my asking 

 him what in the world he was looking at, he replied: 

 " I could almost swear it was a ship, but of course it's 

 only a wretched iceberg." We were just agreed upon 

 this, when suddenly Johansen stopped short and began 

 a hurried search for his long glass. " Are you going to 

 look at the Framf I asked ironically. " Yes, I am," 

 he said; and while he turned the telescope upon the 

 doubtful object far out in Ross Sea, we two stood 

 waiting for a few endless seconds. " It's the Fram^ sure 

 enough, as large as life!" was the welcome announce- 

 ment that broke our suspense. I glanced at Stubberud 

 and saw his face expanding into its most amiable smile. 

 Though I had not much doubt of the correctness of 

 Johansen's statement, I borrowed his glass, and a 

 fraction of a second was enough to convince me. That 

 ship was easily recognized; she was our own old Fram 

 safely back again. 



We had still fourteen long miles to Framheim and an 

 obstinate wind right in our faces, but that part of the 

 way was covered in a remarkably short time. On 

 arriving at home at two in the afternoon we had some 

 expectation of finding a crowd of people in front of the 



