HAPPY HUNTING GROUNDS. 267 



supped off the same courses as the previous day. The dogs, too, 

 had done likewise. I had begun to be almost afraid that the others 

 would grow tired of this continual broth and meat, so that it -was 

 with a certain diffidence that I had proposed it again this evening ; 

 but my anxiety on that score quite disappeared when I saw how 

 it was appreciated. After all, it is the kind of food which is most 

 sustaining to men under canvas at the cold time of the year. 



Before turning in I had a look at all the guy-ropes, and 

 thought they would hold through the night ; but it takes some- 

 thing to withstand the wind when a tent is abeam of it, and our 

 camping-ground was aslant so that we had been obliged to pitch 

 the tent in this position. Matters were no better this night than 

 the previous one, and again one of us had to get up and make the 

 guy-ropes taut to prevent the tent from falling. 



We were now ready to return on board, and we turned out 

 betimes, so as to get in a good day's march. The snow was 

 driving down the fjord before the wind, just as on the previous 

 day ; and when we reached the sledges out by the island, they 

 were entirely covered by the snow. We had hard work shovelling 

 it away from the loads, and getting them and the sledges fairly 

 free of it, and were thus not ready to start before nearly half- 

 past nine. 



