i8o FARTHEST NORTH 



strength into the work. There were only a few boat 

 lengths to cover; we bent to our oars with a will. Now 

 there were three boat lengths. Another desperate 

 spurt. Now there were two and a half boat lengths — 

 presently two — then only one! A few more frantic 

 pulls, and there was a little less. " Now, boys, one or 

 two more hard pulls and its over! Hard! hard!! Keep 

 to it! Now another! Don't give up! One more! 

 There, lue have it ! ! f And one joyful sigh of relief 

 passed round the boat. " Keep the oars going or the 

 rope will break. Row, boys !" And row we did, and 

 soon they had hauled us alongside of the Fram. Not 

 till we were lying there getting our bearskins and flesh 

 hauled on board did we really know what we had had to 

 fight against. The current was running along the side 

 of the ship like a rapid river. At last we were actually 

 on board. It was evening by this time, and it was splen- 

 did to o;et some Q:ood hot food and then stretch ones 

 limbs in a comfortable dry berth. There is a satisfaction 

 in feeling that one has exerted one's self to some pur- 

 pose. Here was the net result of four-and-twenty hours' 

 hard toil: we had shot two reindeer which we did not 

 get, got two bears that we had no use for, and had totally 

 ruined one suit of clothes. Two washings had not the 

 smallest effect upon them, and they hung on deck to 

 air for the rest of this trip. 



I slept badly that night, for this is what I find in my 

 diary: "Got on board after what I think was the 



