ear them splash against
the edge of the ice! The sound seemed to speak of spring and summer, and
to give them a greeting from the great ocean and the way back home. More
tracks of foxes indicated land, and they looked out for it daily. They
did not suspect that they had to travel for three months to the nearest
island.

At the beginning of May only sixteen dogs were left. Now the long summer
day commenced in the Arctic Ocean, and when the temperature was only
twenty degrees below freezing point they suffered from heat. But the ice
was bad, and they had to force the sledges over deep channels and high
hummocks thrust up by pressure. After great difficulties they staggered
along on skis. The work became heavier for the dogs as fewer were left,
but the provisions also diminished.

A furious snowstorm compelled them to remain in a camp. There they left
one of the sledges, and some broken skis were offered to the flames and
made a grand fire. Six dogs could still be harnessed to each of the two
remaining sledges.

At the end of May they came to an expanse of ice intersected by a
network of channels with open water, which blocked the way. Now animal
life began to appear with the coming of summer. In a large opening were
seen the grey backs of narwhals rolling over in the dark-blue water. A
seal or two were seeking fish, and tracks of Polar bears made them long
for fresh meat. Nansen often made long excursions in front to see where
the ice was best. Then Johansen remained waiting by the sledges, and if
the bold ski-runner were long away he began to fear that an accident had
happened. He dared not pursue his thoughts to an end--he would then be
quite alone.

June comes. The scream of ivory gulls pierces the air. The two men
remain a week in a camp to make their kayaks seaworthy. They have still
bread for quite a month. Only six dogs are left; when only three remain
they will have to harness themselves to the sledges.

In a large strip of open water they shoved out the kayaks, fastened them
together with skis, and paddled them along the margin of the ice. On the
other side they shot two seals and three Polar bears, and therefore had
meat for a long time. The last two dogs, too, could eat their fill.

At last the land they longed for appeared to the south, and they
hastened thither, a man and a dog to each sledge. Once they had again to
cross a strip of open water in kayaks, Nansen was at the edge of the ice
when he heard