54 CONQUERING THE ARCTIC ICE 



their noses turned towards the sky, and howling with all their 

 might and in all keys. On shore the chorus consisted of a 

 hundred or more, which, of course, aroused the whole village. 

 People came running out of their tents or houses to find out 

 what was the matter ; seeing that there was nothing really 

 amiss, some angry individuals took sticks or stones and flung 

 them at the singing animals, usually hitting, whereat yelps 

 of pain would mingle with the high-pitched howls of some 

 hundred and fifty dogs. 



Our dogs were getting on very well, but the two pups which 

 we got at St. Lawrence were not worth much. The storm we 

 had just after our departure made them shiver with cold, and 

 they were drenched all day long until we took them down into 

 the cabin. Mr. Leffingwell was very good to them fed them, 

 dried them, and nursed them for some days until they got 

 better. His care most certainly saved their lives. We had 

 dogs everywhere; on the main deck, on the hatch, on the poop, 

 wherever we could find room for a dog, a dog stood tied up ; 

 and we had to manoeuvre carefully when we went along the 

 deck, as some of them were rather vicious and took their 

 revenge for being tied up so long by biting anybody who 

 happened to come too close. I often wished we had had 

 kennels, as it was really too hard on the dogs to stand outside 

 in all kinds of weather, but we had no room for kennels 

 anywhere. 



The fair wind we had after passing Point Hope lasted only 

 for a short time. First we were becalmed, and then came a 

 head-wind, so very light that we could hardly make any head- 

 way at all. The swell was strong, but we looked upon that as 

 a good omen, for we could not think that ice could be near us 

 with so strong a motion in the water. 



Our new arrangement with the crew worked very well, and 

 Thuesen developed into a fine cook. Our food was better 

 prepared, and we were also saving provisions, chiefly, perhaps, 

 through the efforts of Mr. Leffingwell. After Mr. Ditlevsen's 

 departure, he had taken over the provisions and had worked 

 out a bill of fare for a week, in which due attention was paid to 

 the leavings from one meal which could be used for the next. 

 Thuesen also did much to further our new economical way of 

 living ; he was very anxious not to waste anything at all, and 



