236 NEW LAND. 



but such squalls as these we had never felt the like of before. 

 When the gusts of wind came it was as if the tent would be torn 

 to ribbons, and we, with bag and baggage, be swept like shavings 

 along the ice. The tent-poles bent like the bow of a violin, and 

 before we knew what was happening, the tent was within an ace 

 of being carried away over our heads. Schei had to stand and 

 steady the poles, while I dragged on my boots and wind-repellers, 

 and went out to brace up the guy-ropes. 



As we had no wish to have the tent ripped to pieces, we decided 

 to pack our things together and clear out of this storm-hole with- 

 out delay. We would seek shelter in the big valley we had seen 

 the day before. The act followed quickly on the thought : our 

 things were very soon collected, the tent rolled up, the dogs put 

 to, and we driving down the fjord in precipitate flight. The storm 

 roared and bellowed behind us, and certainly did all it could to 

 speed the parting guest. We sat on the loads, with the wind hard 

 astern, and could feel how the whole sledge was lifted and carried 

 along, until it literally ran away from the dogs. Many times the 

 sledges fouled the traces, and swung round with their heads to 

 the wind. 



We got on pretty well as far as the point, but across the big 

 bay, south of it, we came in for it in grim earnest. The wind was 

 as terrific as ever, but was now hard abeam, and with such drift 

 that we had to shut our eyes tight, and so could not see land on 

 the other side. However, I knew that, by driving straight across 

 the bay, we should hit off the big canon, and so we went at it. 



The sledges swayed from side to side, jump after jump, aslant 

 across the ice ; sometimes on one runner, sometimes on the other, 

 sometimes on both. Time after time we overturned ; it was futile 

 to think of trying to hinder it. Once, when the sledge capsized, I 

 was swept away with such force that I very nearly broke one of 

 my legs. But we consoled ourselves by hoping that it was only a 

 transition stage, as the fox said when he was skinned. 



At last we made the sands on the other side of the bay, and 

 as soon as we were there the wind went down sufficiently for us 

 to see a glimpse of where we were going. The very instant that 

 we turned up into the valley we ceased to feel the wind ; not a 



