BAD-WEATHER CAMP. 387 



time to fret one's self almost distraught ; this we did, and spent the 

 rest of the time feeding the dogs, scraping the ice off them, and 

 looking after them as best we could. We furthermore cooked and 

 ate what more can be asked of good folk living under the snow ? 



As we had nothing better to do, we began to wonder if it would 

 be possible to do without sleeping-bags later on in the spring. 

 We were obliged to find something to experiment on, and so we 

 tried lying back to back outside the bags. It was a most satis- 

 factory arrangement as long as one did not turn round in one's 

 sleep, and find one's self lying with one's back to the tent-floor, 

 instead of against one's neighbour it was anything but satisfactory 

 then. Happily it was not difficult to move together again the 

 less so as the willingness was mutual and cordial relations were 

 soon re-established. 



One day, when I was out to feed and look after the dogs, I went 

 a few hundred yards inland, and saw what greatly aroused my 

 interest, namely, the tracks of reindeer. This was truly as welcome 

 a discovery as it was unexpected. I told Fosheim about it at once, 

 and we made up our minds to sacrifice the first fine day to them. 

 If we were lucky enough to shoot a few animals it would be of 

 the greatest importance to us, for the dogs had had no extra food 

 for a long time, despite all the hard work and bad weather they 

 had undergone. But there was a serious ' but ' between us and 

 the longed-for reindeer ! I still felt the effects of our reconnoitring 

 trip in the month of March ; particularly so when we had been 

 weather-bound for a time, and my legs had had time to grow stiff. 

 They were so bad at times that often when I was going to feed 

 the dogs I had to sit down two or three times before I could 

 drag myself the short distance between them and the tent. Nor 

 had Fosheim got off scot-free, but Tie was worse when he walked ; 

 if he could stay quiet for a while he gradually grew better. 

 However, towards the end of our stay at ' Bad-Weather Camp ' 

 (' TJveirsleiren ') I felt a little less stiff, and with the prospect of 

 the reindeer my hopes of complete recovery rose day by day. 



After the discovery of the tracks we talked of almost nothing 

 but reindeer and reindeer shooting. If only we could have a fine 

 sunny day, after all this horrible driving snow, so that we could 



