A HARD STRUGGLE 



185 



it was that on the other side of the lane I could see fine 

 flat ice stretching southward — and now to be obliged to 

 camp here and wait ! I had, however, already possessed 

 my soul in patience, when, on coming back to our 

 original stopping-place, I found a tolerably good crossing- 

 close by it. We eventually got to the other side, with 



JOHANSEN CARVING OUR NAMES IN A STOCK OF 

 DRIFT-WOOD. 



the ice Qrnndino: under our feet the while, and by that 

 time it was 6 o'clock in the morning. We kept at it a 

 little while longer over beautiful flat ice, but the dogs 

 were tired, and it was nearly 48 hours since they had 

 been fed. As we were hastening along we suddenly 

 came across an immense piece of timber sticking up 



