HAPPY HUNTING GROUNDS. 83 



roots. The only notice they vouchsafed me was an occasional 

 sniff in my direction. 



As I stood watching them one of the hares came quietly up 

 towards me. So near did it come that I stretched out my hand 

 to stroke it, but this it did not quite like, started a couple of paces 

 aside, and then began quietly to eat again. 



I stayed long fraternizing with the hares down on the grass, 

 and at last we did not mind each other in the very least. They 

 went on with their occupations quite unconcernedly ; I with mine. 

 I felt something like Adam in Paradise before Eve came, and all 

 that about the serpent happened. 



After a time I took my way downwards towards the river, 

 where we had met the open water the day before. A single 

 eider was now on it, diving. Why had it remained there ? 

 All its companions were long since gone. It was probably a 

 young bird, unable to follow the others in their flight towards the 

 south, and so it had settled down here by itself in the channel. 

 Poor bird ! One day it would find the water covered with ice, 

 and there would be an end of it. The bright eyes would close, 

 the lonely cry of need cease to be uttered. One should never give 

 in in this world ! No. Better fly ; fly till the wings break, and 

 one drops dead on the spot. 



It was now so late in the day that if I wished to be at my 

 post when the others returned I must hurry back to camp. I was 

 only just in time ; no sooner was everything in order, and I ready 

 for them, than the sledges were at the door. 



Next day Fosheim, the mate, and I, each with a large load, 

 started southward. Peder remained behind as watch. The weather 

 was foggy and thick ; the going on the sea-ice rather slow. 

 When it was possible to do so we kept to the ice-foot, but across 

 the more deeply indented bays we found it necessary to leave it. 

 On the whole we made good progress all the way, until we began 

 to negotiate the neck of land leading across to Gaasedalen ; there 

 the snow was very thin, and the sledges would hardly move. The 

 fog, too, prevented us from finding the best way. Farther south 

 matters were still worse. We got up on to some large level 

 wastes without a sign of vegetation, and where there was nothing 



