THE JOURNEY SOUTHWARD SU 



our hope was drifting there ; all we possessed was on 

 board — we had not even a knife with us ; and whether I 

 got cramp and sank here, or turned back without the 

 kayaks, it would come to pretty much the same thing ; 

 so I exerted myself to the utmost. When I got tired 

 I turned over, and swam on my back, and then 

 I could see Johansen walking restlessly up and down 

 on the ice. Poor lad ! He could not stand still, and 

 thought it dreadful not to be able to do anything. He 

 had not much hope that I could do it, but it would not 

 improve matters in the least if he threw himself into 

 the water too. He said afterwards that these were the 

 worst moments he had ever li\'ed through. But when 

 I turned over again and saw that I was nearer the 

 kayaks, my courage rose, and I redoubled my exertions. 

 I felt, however, that my limbs were gradually stiffening 

 and losing all feeling, and I knew that in a short time I 

 should not be able to move them. But there was not far 

 to go now ; if I could only hold out a little longer we 

 should be saved — and I w^ent on. The strokes became 

 more and more feeble, but the distance became shorter 

 and shorter, and I began to think I should reach the 

 kayaks. At last I was able to stretch out my hand to 

 the snow-shoe which lay across the sterns. I grasped it, 

 pulled myself in to the edge of the kayak — and we were 

 saved ! I tried to pull myself up, but the whole of my 

 body was so stiff with cold that this was an impossibility. 



For a moment I thought that, after all, it was too late ; I 



II.— V, 



