THE WINTER NIGHT 323 



The dogs' excitement was quite remarkable ; they had 

 not been so keen when the bear w\as close in to the 

 side of the ship. However, I contented myself with re- 

 marking that the thing to do would be to loose some 

 dogs and go north with them over the ice. But these 

 wretched dogs won't tackle a bear, and besides it is so 

 dark that there is hardly a chance of finding anything. 

 If it is a bear he will come again. At this season, when 

 he is so hungry, he will hardly go right away froni all the 

 good food for him here on board. I struck about with 

 my arms to get a little heat into me, then went below 

 and to bed. The dogs went on barking, sometimes 

 louder than before. Nordahl, whose watch it was, went 

 up several times, but could discover no reason for it. 

 As I w^as lying reading in my berth I heard a peculiar 

 sound; it was like boxes being dragged about on deck, 

 and there was also scraping, like a dog that wanted to 

 get out, scratching violently at a door. I thought of 

 ' Kvik,' who was shut up in the chart-room. I called 

 into the saloon to Nordahl that he had better go up 

 again and see what this new noise was. He did so, but 

 came back saying that there was still nothing to be seen. 

 It w^as dif^cult to sleep, and I lay long tossing about. 

 Peter came on watch. I told him to go up and turn the 

 air-sail to the wind, to make the ventilation better. He 

 was a good time on deck doing this and other things, 

 but he also could see no reason for the to-do the dogs 

 were still making. He had to go forward, and then 



