HUNTING FOB WINTER FOOD. 339 



meat could soon be taken on board, for the fjord was still free of 

 ice. Now and then a little brash formed, but it always drifted 

 away after a shorter or longer time. But then something happened 

 which enlivened me considerably, and made an end of my hermit 

 life. 



' On September 301 lay reading till late in the evening, and, 

 when eventually I put out the light, I remained awake for some 

 time. Just as I was falling asleep, I was suddenly aroused 

 without any kind of preparation by a series of frightful howls 

 from " Susamel." I have often heard dogs howl from pain or 

 fear, but such terror as this expressed I had never heard before. 

 At the same time I heard a wild turmoil going on at the place 

 where the dog was tied up. " Susamel," apparently, was rushing 

 round and round the length of her chain, followed by some animal 

 with much heavier steps. That something was going on was very 

 evident, and I therefore made all the haste I could to light the 

 lamp and get out of the bag. But the bag was very narrow, and 

 it was therefore some time before I was clear of it ; during this 

 performance I overturned the lamp, which at once went out, but I 

 would not stop to light it again. 



' Outside the howls continued, and the dog and its enemy, 

 whatever it might be, ran round and round till I could hear the 

 pebbles scattering far and wide. But then I heard that the dog 

 had got loose, and was running as hard as it could go, still 

 howling and with the chain dragging behind it, in a northerly 

 direction, towards the lowest part of the point. In this way 

 " Susamel " called later the " Heroine of Ytre Eide "left the 

 seat of war, and left me to pull the chestnuts out of the fire as 

 best I might. 



' Meanwhile, I had got out of the sleeping-bag, and seized my 

 gun, which was lying ready loaded beside me. I then managed 

 still in the dark to unhook a couple of hooks in the tent-door so 

 that I could see out. Being cloudy weather, it was very dark, and 

 I could only see the meat-stack in a confused mass. I could 

 just distinguish the outlines of a bear, which was standing 

 by it, with its head down, but without eating, as if it were listening. 

 I very cautiously stuck the barrel of the gun out of the tent-door. 



