around them.

Another time they sailed with the kayaks lashed together and went ashore
on an island to get a better view. The kayak raft was moored with a
walrus rope. As they were strolling round Johansen called out, "Hullo,
the kayaks are adrift."

They ran down. The wind was blowing off the land. Out on the fiord all
they possessed in the world was being mercilessly carried away.

"Take my watch," cried Nansen, and throwing off a few clothes he jumped
into the ice-cold water, and swam after the kayaks. But they drifted
more rapidly than Nansen swam, and the case seemed hopeless. He felt his
limbs growing numb, but he thought he might as well drown as swim back
without the boats. He struck out for his life, became tired, lay on his
back, went on again, saw that the distance was lessening, and put out
all his strength for a last spurt. He was quite spent and on the point
of sinking when he caught hold of one of the canoes and could hang on
and get his breath. Then he heaved himself up into the kayak, and rowed
back shivering, with chattering teeth, benumbed, and frozen blue. When
he reached the land Johansen put him in the sleeping-bag and laid over
him everything he could find. And when he had slept a few hours he was
as lively as a cricket and did justice to the supper.

Farther and farther south they continued their daring journey over ice
and waves. A walrus came up beside Nansen's canoe, and tried its
solidity with his tusks, nearly taking kayak and oarsman down with him
to the salt depths. When the animal went off, Nansen felt uncomfortably
cold and wet about the legs. He rowed to the nearest ice, where the
kayak sank in shallow water and all he possessed was wet and spoiled.
Then they had to give themselves a good rest and repair all damages,
while walruses grunted and snorted close beside them.

This journey of Nansen's is a unique feat in the history of Polar
travels. Of the crews of the _Erebus_ and _Terror_, a hundred and
thirty-four men, not one had escaped, though they had not lost their
vessels and though they lay quite close to a coast where there were
human beings and game. But these two Norwegians had now held out in the
Polar sea for fifteen months, and had preserved their lives and limbs
and were in excellent condition.

Their hour of delivery was at hand. On June 17 Nansen ascended an ice
hummock and listened to the commotion made by a whole multitude of
birds. What now? He listens holding hi