76 NEW LAND. 



Had the ice been dangerous, the sand-hills, when we got on to 

 them, proved almost impracticable. In many places there was so 

 little snow that the sledges continually stuck fast, and the dogs 

 were unable to move them an inch from the spot. When this 

 happened, they became almost beside themselves with impatience ; 

 they reared, pulled, and strained as if it was a life-and-death 

 matter for them to come up with the game, and when their efforts 

 proved unavailing in the end, they fell to howling and whining in 

 the most piteous manner. 



By dint of unremitting exertions we succeeded in pushing and 

 hauling the sledges beyond the stretch of open water, and when 

 at last we had accomplished this, and were able to drive on the 

 ice again, it was not long before we arrived at the spot whence we 

 had to strike up on land. We were lucky enough to find a little 

 gully, which we followed, thus somewhat reducing the difficulties 

 of the ascent, and soon found ourselves on the wastes. 



But what had become of the oxen ? We ought to be quite 

 near to them now, and yet there was not a trace of any to be seen. 

 The dogs, however, were so excited that I felt sure they were 

 somewhere about, probably in a hollow. My team had always 

 been so certain and reliable that I had not the slightest hesitation 

 in letting them go, a ad so slipped their traces. A couple of minutes 

 afterwards they were far away across the waste. 



The mate and Fosheim came up just after this, and as the 

 mate had not yet had a chance of shooting polar oxen, we agreed 

 that he should have his innings that day. He seized his gun and 

 hurried off; while, just to make certain, I took mine too, and 

 followed him. Fosheim remained behind to see about the sledges, 

 something belonging to which had gone wrong. 



The two other teams had been slipped at the same time as 

 mine, but the stupid dogs seemed to have no idea that we were 

 following up a scent. They ran about aimlessly in all directions, 

 and interwove their traces in front of Eaanes's legs till several 

 times they nearly tripped him up ; and so they went on, the 

 whole pack of them, until they were close up to the square where 

 my dogs were keeping things going. 



The mate went to within proper range and began to fire on the 



