166 HUNTERS AND HUNTING IN THE ARCTIC 



ice rapidly up the Sound. This, presaging 

 no good, left me rather anxious. 



We returned on board at half-past ten, 

 where Merite, oblivious to all things mundane 

 when his art called, commenced to paint the 

 female walrus and the young one, the male 

 having already been skinned. I retired to bed 

 well content with my day's sport, but not 

 altogether happy at the weather prospects. 

 The land about us was not one to inspire 

 confidence ; in our present position we ran 

 great risks of being ice-bound in the Sound, 

 and Swensen, I knew, was particularly anxious 

 to get away. 



My premonitions proved not altogether un- 

 founded. That night and the two days follow- 

 ing it were indeed terrible. The wind blew in 

 squalls with terrific force. Everyone aboard 

 feared the worst ; the cold was so intense in 

 my cabin that I shivered even in my bed. The 

 fog, blown by the wind against the mountain 

 side, filled the fjord, so that, shrouded as we 

 were by a dense clinging mist, we had also to 

 bear the full force of a tempest. 



Swensen was very much afraid that the 

 ice hurried in our direction by the wind would 

 crush us ; but as it was quite impossible to 

 retreat in such weather, he slackened the 



