it seemed more than doubtful whether he could manage to regain them. When he got tired, he turned over and swam on his back. At length he gained a little on the kayaks, and he redoubled his exertions. By this time Nansen felt his limbs gradually stiffening and losing all feeling. His strokes became more and more feeble, but the distance from the kayaks became shorter, and at last he was able to grasp a snow-shoe which lay across the sterns. He now tried to pull himself up, but his body was so stiff with cold that this seemed an impossibility. After a little, he managed to swing one leg up on to the edge of the sledge which lay on the deck, and then raised the rest of his body. They were saved! With some difficulty he paddled the kayaks back to Johansen, who confessed that these were the worst moments he had ever lived through. Johansen now pulled off Nansen’s wet clothes, put on the few dry ones they had in reserve, spread the sleeping-bag upon the ice, and covered Nansen with the sail and everything he could find to keep out the cold. Next day Nansen was all right again, and in the evening the journey was continued. On 14th June great herds of walruses were met, and as meat and blubber were at a low ebb, a young one was shot. Two days afterwards, a walrus nearly turned the tables on them. It came up close beside Nansen’s kayak, threw itself on the edge of it, took hold farther over the deck with one fore-flipper, and tried to upset the frail craft. Nansen struck at its head with the paddle, while it in turn struck at the kayak with its tusks. It was only when the deck was almost under water that it suddenly disappeared. Nansen was congratulating himself on his fortunate escape, when he noticed his legs getting wet, and he had only time to run the kayak on a sunken ledge of ice when it sank. It was as well that the ice was near at hand, or the result would have been serious.