BACK TO BJORNEBORG. 429 



mild, this agreeable condition was enhanced by a peeling process, 

 and large tatters of skin hung from our faces like little pennons, 

 and floated in the wind. 



When we had tied up our dogs, we stood a little while talking 

 to Bay. Both Fosheim and I had counted on being immediately 

 invited to lunch, and we now gave the Commandant an opportunity 

 of doing so, but no invitation came : nor did he let fall a single 

 word which a hungry and willing interpreter could construe in 

 such a manner. 



Deeply hurt, we did the only thing worthy of us in the 

 circumstances, and heaped coals of fire on his head by resolutely 

 inviting him to lunch in our tent, which we at once set to work to 

 pitch. The Commandant accepted our invitation with delighted 

 alacrity his morale had evidently suffered from the solitary life 

 he had led. 



The weather was so mild that we did not think it necessary to 

 put up the inner tent, and this gave us extra room, which was 

 very necessary, as our expected guest was anything but narrow- 

 gauged. 



The lunch consisted of an omelet, bear-steaks, and strong coffee. 

 Latterly, Fosheim and I had been obliged to exercise strict 

 economy with our coffee, by which I do not mean that we had not 

 drunk it the regulation number of times far from it but we had 

 had to make it decidedly weak, so that our allowance might hold 

 out. We now had the big depot to draw on, and well we took our 

 revenge. 



It was not strange that we were in want of coffee. It was now 

 sixty-three days since the returning party had left us ; we were 

 then provisioned for fifty days at rather less than 2| Ibs. a day, 

 and on our return we still had provisions for six or eight days. 

 Economize we did not, still less deprive ourselves; we ate our 

 proper meals morning and evening, consisting of two courses each 

 meal, and I can safely say we ate as much as ever we could. It 

 must be remembered that we were driving eight or ten hours every 

 day in almost all kinds of weather, which is the sort of thing to 

 sharpen one's appetite and the man who should have no appetite 

 for all the good things we took with us must be difficult to please ; 



