IN THE INTERIOR OF GREENLAND 



behind the main party, owing to the fact that we were each 

 leading a pair of these unshod huskies. These animals, recog- 

 nizing the character of the ice ahead, crouched down on the 

 rocky soil, and when we made motions of approaching and 

 picking them up, each one laid back both ears and bared every 

 tooth in a good imitation of a very large wolf at bay. We gazed 

 at these dogs for several minutes, and they glared back. Then, 

 as our party was rapidly fading from sight on a distant frozen 

 lake, we each grasped a dog under the forelegs with both arms 

 and started across the ice. To our surprise, while the animals 

 showed every fang, and kept up a continual low, dangerous- 

 sounding growl, they did not attempt to bite. The two re- 

 maining dogs, when they saw that they were being left behind, 

 sent after us a series of most doleful howls. 



When we had transported all four dogs across the ice, and 

 had led them over half a mile of rocks, we reached the shores 

 of a lake covered with freshly frozen, smooth, black ice. We 

 flattened ourselves on our stomachs, and, with a straining husky 

 attached to each wrist, were whirled along to the accompani- 

 ment of the rumbling and cracking of the thin ice radiating out 

 on all sides of us. When we finally overtook the main party 

 they were preparing to camp in the shelter of a. mass of bowlders 

 near the edge of the ice-cap. 



Camping is a very simple matter in the continuous daylight 

 of this land. The dogs were tied to rocks and fed a small 

 amount of dried fish, while we lighted the alcohol stove and 

 cooked and ate rations made into a soup thickened with hard- 

 tack. Then each man stretched out among the rocks in his 

 sleeping-bag and slept the sleep of exhaustion. 



Thoroughly refreshed after our sleep and another meal, we 

 now attempted to ascend to the ice-cap at this point, but the 

 abrupt face of a slippery glacier barred our way for several 

 miles. After a long detour we found a means of ascending to 

 the rim, but discovered that two of the dogs were so lame 



77 



