CHAPTER XIII. 



A POLAR IDYL. 



FOSHEIM and I set off eastwards up the valley. We took our ' ski ' 

 off when we reached the steep large-stoned screes, and worked our 

 way laboriously up the mountain-side. 



It was a weary climb ! As always on such occasions, we con- 

 tinually thought we saw the top, and when we reached that 

 particular spot, found we had to mount still higher. But at last 

 we reached the summit, and were able to see a good way co the 

 north. Far away in the north-east rose some high mountains 

 behind a wide fiat expanse, which we took to be fjord. It might, 

 of course, be a stretch of sand, but we wanted a fjord there, 

 and so we decided to think it one. A few miles away from 

 us stretched a plain, which we thought must be the watershed, 

 but that was a matter which we had to investigate further, as well 

 as the best way of reaching the plateau we saw in front of us. 



So now we had to trudge northwards. After we had gone a 

 little way we saw a herd of polar oxen on the east side of the 

 valley, and we agreed that Fosheim should kill a couple of them, 

 whilst I went on northward, to the prospective watershed. 



The walking was heavy work, but I pressed on, and at last had 

 the satisfaction of standing on the watershed. It was a comfort 

 to know it was not farther off, for from that I concluded the 

 distance on the other side would not be so very great. On the 

 other hand, the country north of the watershed did not look at all 

 promising; black walls of rock closed it in, and I was sorely 

 afraid that a canon led down between all the horrors I saw 

 away in the north-east. I then turned back ; and with the 

 intention of helping Fosheirn with the skinning, made my 



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