114 NEW LAND. 



cousin, and would not touch it. This was rather curious, as they 

 had quite a liking for fox-flesh, and were not averse to eating 

 each other. 



As time went by, and wolf-shooting became more and more 

 of a problem, there was a steady decrease in the demand for 

 night-watches ; % and when the wolves kept away for a week, they 

 sank so rapidly that there was no market for them at all in fact, 

 had any one been generous enough to suggest giving his away, I 

 do not think he would have found anybody willing to accept it. 

 The wolf-period proper was not until later. When the moon 

 began to shine these evilly disposed animals were often to be seen 

 about the place. 



One of the most favoured in this respect was Isachsen ; he had 

 a chance of firing at them five or six times. Baumann also had 

 his chance. The beasts generally appeared two or three together, 

 but by the time we reached the deck they were far away across 

 the ice, or perchance would be sitting on the talus, near the ship, 

 howling dismally ; while the dogs responded in the same key from 

 inside the kennels, or the deck. It is striking how similar is their 

 howling. 



One of the first days of December, Nodtvedt, on going up on 

 deck about nine in the evening, saw three wolves busily engaged at 

 the refuse-heap. He ran down for his gun, and some of the others, 

 seeing what was up, followed him on deck, but the wolves had 

 already taken flight, and in the half-clear moonshine could be seen 

 a couple of hundred yards away on the ice. Of course they were 

 peppered with due regard to economy but without effect. 



Later in the evening Isachsen and Nodtvedt went out to look 

 for them. They saw one of the animals, but the darkness of a 

 polar night is not exactly the best light for rifle-shooting ; and 

 also it was impossible to get within reasonable range. The wolf 

 kept at a distance, though it was evidently curious to see what 

 the beings were which thus dogged its footsteps. How long this 

 ramble would have lasted it is difficult to say, but its fellows up 

 the valley appeared to be growing impatient, for they began to 

 howl and whine. It then went off to them, and disappeared for 

 the night. 



