A POLAR IDYL. 175 



way to the spot where I had last seen the herd, but when I 

 reached it Fosheim was just starting back with a supply of meat 

 and liver. 



"We then went down to look at the valley. At places it 

 was, no doubt, very narrow and winding, and the stones stuck 

 up through the snow; but to our great joy we could see with 

 almost absolute certainty that the incline was nowhere so great 

 but we could easily drive up it with a single team to each 

 sledge. 



But what a country for hares ! Track upon track wherever 

 we looked, and hares hopping from stone to stone wherever we 

 turned. I had never yet seen anything to equal it. But we had 

 meat enough for the time being, and so left the hares in peace and 

 went back to camp. 



There the mate was in a position to present us with a leash of 

 hares, and Schei's observations had been satisfactorily accom- 

 plished, so that in spite of everything I had reason to be well 

 satisfied with the day. 



The following morning we started up the valley. Things 

 went pretty well, although the gradient here and there was so 

 steep that we had to give the dogs some help in the hauling. 

 By about one o'clock we were able to camp on the plain. I 

 then went northward to look at the country, while the three 

 others took the dogs to the slaughter-ground to fetch the two 

 carcases. 



The snow was in splendid condition for ' ski,' and, after I had 

 gone north of the watershed, the pace became as hot as one could 

 wish. The plain narrowed off towards the north, and numerous 

 rivulets and small streams made their way down to it. They had 

 carried with them a quantity of stones and grit, which was piled up 

 in small billow-shaped ridges for a long distance away. A big 

 river, I felt sure, must be the eventual outcome of all these tribu- 

 taries, but where the main water-course ran I could not as yet 

 make out for the snow with which the ground was covered. 



To the north the plain was bounded by dark, steep walls 

 of rock ; between them I concluded the river must cut itself a 

 way down ; and I thought it would be remarkable if I did not 



