156 THE KETURX TO FRAMHEIM 



and loose, and it was difficult to find anything like 

 a good place for the tent. We could soon feel that we 

 had descended a couple of thousand feet and come down 

 among the mountains. It was still, absolutely still, and 

 the sun broiled us as on a day of high summer at home. 

 I thought, too, that I could notice a difference in my 

 breathing; it seemed to work much more easily and 

 pleasantly — perhaps it was only imagination. 



At one o'clock on the following morning we were out 

 again. The sight that met our eyes that morning, when 

 we came out of the tent, was one of those that will 

 always live in our memories. The tent stood in the 

 narrow gap between Fridtj of Nansen andOleEngelstad. 

 The sun, which now stood in the south, was completely 

 hidden by the latter mountain, and our camp was thus 

 in the deepest shadow ; but right against us on the other 

 side the Nansen mountain raised its splendid ice-clad 

 summit high towards heaven, gleaming and sparkling in 

 the rays of the midnight sun. The shining white passed 

 gradually, very gradually, into pale blue, then deeper 

 and deeper blue, until the shadow swallowed it up. 

 But down below, right on the Heiberg Glacier, its ice- 

 covered side was exposed — dark and solemn the moun- 

 tain mass stood out. Mount Engelstad lay in shadow, 

 but on its summit rested a beautiful light little cirrus 

 cloud, red with an edge of gold. Down over its side 

 the blocks of ice lay scattered pell-mell. And farther 

 down on the east rose Don Pedro Christophersen, partly 



