70 ICE-BOUND ON KOLGUEV 
After a bit we had a fine pile of drift-wood collected, 
and, making a roaring fire, cooked some supper. 
Hyland was very anxious to shoot a grouse for break- 
fast, so I sent him off with his gun. When he returned 
at 3.30 a.M. he brought with him a fine cock bird, and 
told me that the Saxon was still visible, and going ahead 
all right. 
It was not at all a pleasing morning, for a chill fog 
had settled down over the island. However, it cleared 
away about nine o'clock. 
We were sitting at breakfast when we distinctly heard, 
as we both believed, two shots fired. The sound seemed 
to come from an easterly direction, exactly from the same 
point whence Powys and I had thought we heard them 
the other day—last Tuesday. 
It at once struck me that our wisest plan by far was 
without any delay to try and find this mysterious shooter. 
Unfortunately we were on the wrong side of.the 
Gusina. However, we took our guns and old Sailor, and 
followed down between the river and the sea. 
And now it was that we had the first experience of 
those snow-filled gullies which were to give us so much 
trouble later on. Many of those we met with in the 
interior of the island were much more formidable than 
these; but I think I may as well describe them once for 
all. 
Imagine, then, a deep, narrow dene or combe with 
very suddenly sloping sides. This in the winter would 
