574 FARl'HEST NORTH 



October, and had lost them to N.N.W. of the ship. Ap- 

 parently they had come from, that quarter now. 



" When they wanted to shoot, Peter's gun, as usual, 

 would not go off; it had again been drenched with vas- 

 eline, and he kept calling out: 'Shoot! shoot! Mine 

 won't go off.' Afterwards, on examining the gun I had 

 taken with me to the fray, I found there were no car- 

 tridges in it. A nice account I should have given of my- 

 self had I come on the bears alone with that weapon ! 



" Monday, November 5th. As I was sitting at work 

 last night I heard a dog on the deck howling fearfully. I 

 sprang up, and found it was one of the puppies that had 

 touched an iron bolt with its tongue and was frozen fast 

 to it. There the poor beast was, straining to get free, 

 with its tongue stretched out so far that it looked like a 

 thin rope proceeding out of its throat; and it was howl- 

 ing piteously. Bentzen, whose watch it was, had come 

 up, but scarcely knew what to do. He took hold of 

 it, however, by the neck, and held it close to the bolt, 

 so that its tongue was less extended. After having 

 warmed the bolt somewhat with his hand, he managed 

 to get the tongue free. The poor little puppy seemed 

 overjoyed at its release, and, to show its gratitude, licked 

 Benzen's hand with its bloody tongue, and seemed as if 

 it could not be ijrateful enouQrh to its deliverer. It is to 

 be hoped that it will be some time before this puppy, at 

 any rate, gets fast again in this way ; but such things 

 happen every now and then. 



