THE HOMEWARD JOURNEY 



shine when we are robbed of our view ahead ! I consider our 

 position and decide to kill the last dog. For if we become too 

 exhausted we shall be unable to hunt when we do reach land ; 

 so let us stake everything on one card and eat the poor animal. 

 Merely one tube of glycerine is now left to us. 



Three o'clock in the afternoon. 



We have reached land, we have returned to food and to 

 life ! We have escaped from the terrible embracing of the 

 inland-ice ! The expedition and all its results are saved ! Only 

 one who has experienced excitement similar to that of the 

 last few days will be able to realize the feelings which flow 

 through us ! 



Ajako's reconnoitring took the following course : 



After a couple of hours of absence his form appeared out 

 of the fog, and at a distance we could see from his walk and 

 from the movement of his arms that he brought good tidings. 

 He was wild with joy. Not merely had he found a place of 

 descent to land, but he had also been on it, seen a hare, and 

 found tracks of reindeer ! We received him with loud shouts 

 of rejoicing and in a moment we were all on our way down 

 through the fog. 



The place of descent was steep, and we had to retard the 

 sledge with straps fastened under the runners ; but after a 

 daring descent we landed on the steep cliff to which a narrow 

 little tongue of glacier led across like a bridge. For miles on 

 both sides we saw the steep edge of the inland-ice ; thus half 

 blindly we had found the only place where descent was possible. 

 With an indescribable feeling of happiness and relief we jumped 

 on to land and soon after all the baggage was in safety. 



Only the sledge remains on the inland-ice, its snout turned 

 towards the cliff walls ; standing there alone and abandoned, in 

 this landscape it looks like a wrecked ship. 



We yet possess a spoonful of tea, and hurriedly we boil a 

 kettle of water. There is loud good-humour in our little camp, 

 for in half an hour all men will be hunting. 



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