SUMMER JOURNEYS. 157 



tent, while Schei and I went up to the neck of land. The warm 

 weather had had great effect up there, and we were now compelled 

 to drive for long distances on blue clay, by the river-side. To get 

 across to Nordfjord in such circumstances was an impossibility. 



Schei proceeded with his geological investigations up on the 

 boulder-strewn land. I hoped to find hares, in any case on the 

 slopes toward the Nordfjord side ; but not a trace of one did 

 I see. I can't imagine what the hares up there do with them- 

 selves ; there was hardly ever one to be seen. 



On my return, I found Schei and Simmons back at the tent, 

 and the cooking-pot boiling hard. The doctor said he felt much 

 better ; the pain in his side was gone, and his eyes had so far 

 recovered that he could sit inside the tent without spectacles. 

 After we had had our meal, he remarked that he regretted having 

 come to the station he had only alarmed himself, and prevented 

 Schei from doing his work up the fjord there was nothing serious 

 the matter with him. "We consoled him by telling him that there 

 was no harm done, that we had plenty of time, and could drive 

 up the fjord on another occasion. I then asked him for the 

 second time if he would not let me take him on board, now that 

 we had all rested, but he would not hear of it, and said that he 

 should prefer to remain where he was. I then offered to stay 

 behind with him we could collect insects and shoot seals together. 

 But he would not let me defer the journey to Beitstadfjord, and 

 said that the time would pass quickly, even when he was there 

 alone. He could go out shooting, collect insects, and look after 

 his dogs ; he would have plenty to do, too, in cutting ice round 

 the tent, for it was our intention to take the latter back to the 

 ship, as well as the whole of our depot out here. 



We turned out in the evening, and began to remove some of 

 the ice and sand round the tent, but did not finish our job, or any- 

 thing like it, for we had originally sunk the tent two to three 

 feet deep in a sand-hill. Then we got ready for our four days' 

 trip to Beitstadfjord, and the doctor helped us to carry down our 

 things, lash the loads to the sledges, and harness the dogs. 



And then we said good-bye to one another, little thinking 

 what was about to happen. 



