HAPPY HUNTING GROUNDS. 



259 



fog came on so thickly that I could hardly have seen less 



been blindfold. I just made 



out, however, that I was among 



some sand-hills, and happily, 



the weather being quite still, I 



was able to follow my own 



tracks back again, and reached 



home after four hours' absence. 



About three o'clock we all 

 met in the tent for dinner. 

 The skins and meat had been 

 brought down, and all we had 

 now to do was to get out of the 

 fjord and on board the Tram' 

 as quickly as possible. We 

 accordingly loaded the sledges, 

 and lashed the loads fast to 

 them that evening. 



The weather had gradually 

 changed to almost a thaw, and 

 there were not more than a 

 couple of degrees of frost. This 

 was very bad for the sleeping- 

 bags,and they suffered especially 

 during the last twenty-four 

 hours. We had heated the tent 

 more than usual, so that the 

 snow had melted, and the floor 

 of the . tent was quite wet 

 through. The bags were rather 

 damp, as it was, and we feared 

 they would be still worse the 

 next night, but later in the 

 evening the weather suddenly 

 cleared, the temperature fell 

 quickly,and there was every sign 

 of severe cold setting in again. 



had I 



