346 XEW LAND. 



when the party swain past the tent at half-past three. Meanwhile, 

 it was impossible to know the number of bears which had been 

 about by their tracks, for they had walked close together, and the 

 trail was a well-trodden path. 



' Some way south of Indre Eide I lost " Susamel's " tracks, 

 but went on farther to see if I could pick them up again on the 

 point. I did not do this. On the other hand, I saw a man with 

 a dog, which proved to be Stolz, and my brave watch-dog. She 

 had been discovered in the morning near the " Fram," safe and 

 sound, and had thereby, as far as I could understand, given occa- 

 sion to various suppositions, the most general being that she had 

 grown tired of me because I had spent the time in telling her my 

 according to these tasteless people tiresome stories. The 

 Captain, however, had doomed her to a renewal of this torture, 

 and had sent Stolz off to bring her back. 



' I thought it might be well to spend a night in quietness, as 

 I had not closed an eye for the last twenty-four hours. Some of 

 my provisions, too, required replenishing, and I therefore decided 

 to go on board. I did not think the bears would come to the tent 

 again after the reception I had given them, and my surmise proved 

 to be correct, for I never saw anything more of them. My hermit 

 life, too, came to an end, for Captain Sverdrup offered me Stolz 

 for company, and I accepted him with thanks. Camping out alone 

 for any length of time at this season, \vhen the nights are so dark, 

 has its disagreeables, though for people with a craving for excite- 

 ment it can be thoroughly recommended ; but for this personally 

 I have no taste.' 



Bay, furthermore, told us that the steady north wind was 

 still keeping the fjord free of ice beyond the edge of the fast ice, 

 and though now and then there might be a quantity of brash out 

 there, it always drifted away to sea. The way across Indre Eide 

 and Hvalrosfjord, on the other hand, was easy. Acting on this 

 news I set to work to make a sledge for the transport of the meat 

 across Ytre Eide to the cove, as I thought Bay and Stolz might 

 just as well drive some loads of meat across the isthmus as do 

 nothing at all ; it would be a great thing to be able to begin early 



