AT HOME AGAIN 173 



see at once that others had been at the depot since we 

 had left it, and we found a message from Lieutenant 

 Prestrud, the leader of the eastern party, saying that he, 

 with Stubberud and Johansen, had passed here on 

 November 12, with two sledges, sixteen dogs, and 

 supplies for thirty days. Everything thus appeared to 

 be in the best of order. Immediately on arriving at the 

 depot we let the dogs loose, and they made a dash for 

 the heap of seal's flesh, which had been attacked neither 

 by birds nor dogs in our absence. It was not so much 

 for the sake of eating that our dogs made their way to 

 the meat mound, as for the sake of fighting. Now they 

 really had something to fight about. They went round 

 the seals' carcasses a few times, looked askance at the 

 food and at each other, and then flung themselves into 

 the wildest scrimmage. When this had been duly 

 brought to a conclusion, they went away and lay round 

 their sledges. The depot in 80° S, is still large, well 

 supplied and well marked, so it is not impossible that it 

 may be found useful later. 



The journey from 80° S. to Framheim has been so 

 often described that there is nothing new to say about 

 it. On January 25, at 4 a.m., we reached our good little 

 house again, with two sledges and eleven dogs; men 

 and animals all hale and hearty. We stood and waited 

 for each other outside the door in the early morning; 

 our appearance must be made all together. It was so 

 still and quiet — they must be all asleep. We came in. 



