AN ARCTIC RESIDENCE 271 



to-morrow morning at this hour, and if all is in 

 order you shall have the permit." 



At this the captain broke into a storm of rage, 

 and began to abuse me and the British Government, 

 whom he called " cursed policemen interfering with 

 Norwegians engaged in legitimate trade in their 

 own country," and acted in such a manner that 

 I felt sure something was wrong, and as he would 

 not go away, I pushed him out of the room and 

 locked the door, from the far side of which he 

 continued his vituperation for a while. Now N. 

 and Co. were very decent people, but secretly pro- 

 German, so I telegraphed to our Consul in Trond- 

 hjem and asked if the firm of N. and Co. in that 

 town sold English or German salt. The reply 

 came in three hours, " German salt only." 



Punctually at 10 o'clock next morning an aroma 

 of public house announced the advent of the cap- 

 tain, this time both drunk and quarrelsome. In 

 a voice where emotion strove with unsweetened 

 Aquavite he announced that I could now give 

 him the necessary permit. My reply was, " Not 

 on any account. You lied to me. That was 

 German salt; and you can get out of the room as 

 fast as you like." 



At this his face was contorted with rage, and he 

 screamed, " I shall make you give me the coal." 



A sort of football scrimmage then began, my 

 idea being to get him out of the room as quickly 

 as possible. Very soon I had him out on the 

 landing at the top of the staircase, by which time 

 his passion had risen to fever heat. Then in a 

 moment he seemed to lose control of himself, and 

 shouted, " Now I will make you, you cursed 



