A HARD STRUGGLE 205 



and gave him a good thrashing for his pains. The 

 casing over the opening in the kayak was tlien properly 

 secured, and snow-shoes and sticks piled on. 



" The weather is still the same, overcast and thick ; 

 but the wind has veered round to a more southerly di- 

 rection, and the clear strip of blue sky in the southwest 

 has risen a little hio^her from the ice-marofin — can there 

 be a west wind in prospect .f^ Welcome, indeed, would 

 it be, and longing were the glances I directed towards 

 that blue strip — there lay sunshine and progress ; per- 

 haps even land was beneath it. I could see the cumulus 

 clouds sailing through the blue atmosphere, and thought 

 if only we were there, only had land under us, then all our 

 troubles would sink into oblivion. But material needs 

 must not be forgotten, and, perhaps, it would be better 

 to get into the bag and have a good sleep while waiting. 

 Many times in the morning did I peep out of the tent, 

 but always saw the same cloudy sky and the same white 

 prospect wherever the eye turned. Down in the west 

 and southwest was always the same strip of clear blue 

 sky, only that now it was lower again. When we at 

 last turned out in the forenoon the weather was just the 

 same, and the az.ure strip on the horizon in the south- 

 west was still there. I think it must have something to 

 do with land, and it gives me hope that this may not be 

 so far off. It is a tougher job than we thought, this 

 gaining land, but we have had many enemies to make 

 headway against — not only foul ice and bad going, but 



