t. They
rummage for some of the last good things from the _Fram_, and then
Nansen lies listening and fancies he hears the church bells at home.

In the midst of the winter night comes New Year's Day, when it is so
cold that they can only lie down and sleep, and look out of their
sleeping-bag only to eat. Sometimes they do not put out their noses for
twenty hours on end, but lie dosing just like bears in their lairs.

On the last day of February the sun at last appears again. He is
heartily welcome, and he is accompanied by some morning birds, Little
Auks. The two men are frightened of each other when daylight shines on
them, as their hair and beards have grown so long. They have not washed
for a year or more, and are as black in the face as negroes. Nansen, who
is usually extremely fair, has now jet-black hair. They may be excused
for not bathing at a temperature of-40 deg.

The first bear has come. Here he is scratching at the hut and wanting to
get in; there is such a good smell from inside. A bullet meets him on
the way. And as he runs off up a steep slope he gets another, and comes
rolling down in wild bounces like a football. They lived on him for six
weeks.

While the days grew lighter they worked at a new outfit. They made
trousers out of their blankets. Shoes were patched, rope was cut out of
walrus hide, new runners were put on the sledges, the provisions were
packed, and on May 19 they left their cabin and marched farther
south-west.

Time after time they had to rest on account of snowstorms. They had
thrown away the tent, and instead they crept in between the sledges
covered with the sail. Once Nansen came down when on skis, and would
have been drowned if Johansen had not helped him up in time. The snow
lying on this ice was soaked with water. They had always to keep their
eyes open and look for firm ice. The provisions came to an end, but the
sea swarmed with walruses. Sometimes the animals were so bold that
Nansen could go up to them and take photographs. When a fine brute had
been shot the others still lay quiet, and only by hitting them with
their alpenstocks could the travellers get rid of them. Then the animals
would waddle off in single file and plunge head first into the water,
which seemed to boil up around them.

Once they had such level ice and a good wind behind them that they
hoisted sail on the sledges, stood on skis in front of them to steer,
and flew along so that the snow was thrown up