recovering himself as the Eskimos
do. It ended by his not coming up again, losing his paddle, remaining
head downward in the water, and beating about with his hands till the
kayak filled, and he got a cold bath from top to toe. Nordahl, who
was standing by on the ice to help him, at last found it necessary
to go in after him and raise him up on an even keel again, to the
great amusement of us others.

"One can notice that it is summer. This evening a game of cards is
being played on deck, with 'Peik's' [61] big pot for a card-table. One
could almost think it was an August evening at home; only the toddy
is wanting, but the pipes and cigars we have.

"Sunday, August 12th. We had a shooting competition in the forenoon.

"A glorious evening. I took a stroll over the ice among the lanes
and hummocks. It was so wonderfully calm and still. Not a sound to be
heard but the drip, drip of water from a block of ice, and the dull
sound of a snow-slip from some hummock in the distance. The sun is
low down in the north, and overhead is the pale blue dome of heaven,
with gold-edged clouds. The profound peace of the Arctic solitudes. My
thoughts fly free and far. If one could only give utterance to all that
stirs one's soul on such an evening as this! What an incomprehensible
power one's surroundings have over one!

"Why is it that at times I complain of the loneliness? With Nature
around one, with one's books and studies, one can never be quite alone.

"Thursday, August 16th. Yesterday evening, as I was lying in my berth
reading, and all except the watch had turned in, I heard the report of
a gun on deck over my head. Thinking it was a bear, I hurriedly put
on my sea-boots and sprang on deck. There I saw Johansen bareheaded,
rifle in hand. 'Was it you that fired the shot?' 'Yes. I shot at
the big hummock yonder--I thought something was stirring there, and
I wanted to see what it was, but it seems to have been nothing.' I
went to the railings and looked out. 'I fancied it was a bear that
was after our meat--but it was nothing.' As we stood there one of the
dogs came jogging along from the big hummock. 'There, you see what you
have shot at,' I said, laughing. 'I'm bothered if it wasn't a dog!' he
replied. 'Ice-bear' it was, true enough, for so we called this dog. It
had seemed so large in the fog, scratching at the meat hummock. 'Did
you aim at the dog and miss? That was a lucky chance!' 'No! I simply
fired at random in that direc