THE CAMP BY THE OWL'S NEST 



We cooked a panful of porridge and a cup of tea, whereafter 

 Ajako and I at once went into the country ; out of considera- 

 tion for our dogs we could not nurse our own weariness. On 

 snowshoes and with each our own dog, we went into the 

 mountains along the sloping fells. 



It was at once evident that wc were in Peary Land, for such 

 fertile oases we had not seen before. In some places we found 

 thick, lush grass, not merely the miserable meagre tufts to 

 which we were accustomed. Everywhere Polar willow grew 

 abundantly, and poppies, saxifrage, and cassiope, but every- 

 thing is yet withered with winter. Here is at any rate plenty 

 of fuel, if only we can find something to cook. At the begin- 

 ning of our expedition we shot a couple of ptarmigan and gave 

 them to the hungry dogs, which were helping us on our hunt 

 for musk-ox . 



We followed the slope of the mountains along the fjord and 

 soon found excrements of musk-ox, but all very old. Probably 

 the snow is too deep this time of the year. Ptarmigan we saw 

 in abundance, but decided we could not afford to spend am- 

 munition on them. 



On a steep, picturesque brink leading down towards a 

 clough we discovered an owl, which was apparently sitting on 

 its eggs, for hardly had we discovered it before another owl, 

 which we had not seen at all but which sat not far from the first 

 one, began to detract our attention from the nest. First it 

 ran along a big snowdrift, but as we did not let ourselves be 

 deluded, it flew up and began circling above us, anxiously 

 hooting and apparently very nervous as we approached its mate. 

 As we continued our walk undisturbedly, however, it became 

 downright impudent ; high up from the air it would throw 

 itself with lightning quickness down at us, rushing at our 

 heads with such tricky violence that we had to defend ourselves 

 with the butts of our guns. Then it shot up in the air again, 

 circling for awhile above us, to fall down once more right on 

 our heads. Its manoeuvres were sudden, silent, and incalcul- 

 ably swift, and when it passed right in front of us its strong 



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