A HARD STRUGGLE 



203 



that removing the wooden runners might weaken the 

 sledge. Johansen, meanwhile, had taken them off the 

 middle sledge ; but as we then discovered that one of 

 the birch runners had split right across under one of 

 the uprights, there was nothing for it but to put it on 



¥- 



" WE MADE FAIRLY GOOD PROGRESS 



again. It was a pity, though, as the sledge would have 

 run much better on the newly tarred runners than on the 

 scratched under-runners. We made fairly good progress, 

 in spite of there being only 13 dogs left — 4 to my 

 sledge, 4 to the birch sledge, and 5 to Johansen's. But 

 later in the afternoon the weather thickened rapidly 



