INTRODUCTION. 



kept up best, but then before he lay down he had had the good sense to rip up a bag of bread with 

 his knife, and take out a loaf. He divided it into two, and threw one half over to me; but I did not 

 hear him shout when he did this, and thus had none. He had gnawed at his half during the night, and 

 of course it had strengthened him; and he was the only one of us who had tasted food since we left 

 Gargia. 



At last we started, each in our pulk, after the guide had solemnly asked us if it were really our 

 intention to try to get back to Gargia in this weather. We could not see more than a few yards in 

 front of us, but we were quite determined to try. 



The couple of hours spent in the descent were the most exciting I have ever gone through. It 

 was now that our guide showed himself to be the adept that I had been told he was. It was wonderful 

 to see the way he ran to the right or to the left, to find tracks or take a course, and how he drilled 





:- ' _1 . - . rffti 



Fig. 3. Lodikken Hut on Beskades. 



the reindeer when they became unmanageable and suddenly set off up in the face of the wind again. 

 The energy he developed when once he had thawed was incredible. At last we had the good fortune 

 to run almost up against a cairn with a sign-post on the Kautokeino road, and then we knew we 

 were alright. 



We got back to Gargia at 4 p. m., 31 hours after we had left it. Here Helland-Hansen's hands, 

 which were white and stiff to the wrists, were immediately put into ice-cold water, and kept there until 

 they thawed; and by this means the circulation returned to his hands, except the end joints of eight 

 fingers. We then at last got something to eat, not having tasted food all through the terrible journey; 

 and then we once more turned our attention to Helland-Hansen's hands, which were in a terrible state, 

 and dressed them as well as in the mean time we were able. And in spite of everything, our spirits 

 now rose high, in our intense delight at having at any rate not lost our lives. 



Next morning I went to Bossekop for a doctor, who came and bandaged Helland-Hansen's hands 

 properly; but he could not of course give any opinion as to how it would end. Under his aegis, Helland- 

 Hansen was taken to Bossekop, whence he went on as soon as possible with Lows, who took charge of 



