“We’ll see about that!” I turned round, and there was Stubberud leaning against the end of the table, evidently hurt by Hanssen’s words, which he took as a personal affront.  “If you dare risk your whip, come on.”  He had taken down one of the insulted triple-handled whips from the shelf in his bunk, and stood in a fighting attitude.  This promised well.  We all looked at Hanssen.  He had gone too far to be able to draw back; he had to fight.  He took his weapon in his hand, and entered the “ring.”  The conditions were arranged and accepted by both parties; they were to fight until one of the handles was broken.  And then the whip duel began.  The opponents were very serious over it.  One, two, three —­ the first blow fell, handle against handle.  The combatants had shut their eyes and awaited the result; when they opened them again, they shone with happy surprise —­ both handles were as whole as before.  Now each of them was really delighted with his own handle, and the blows fell faster.  Stubberud, who was standing with his back to the table, got so excited over the unexpected result that, every time he raised his weapon, he gave the edge of the table a resounding smack without knowing it.  How many rounds had been fought I do not know, when I heard a crack, followed by the words:  “There you can see, old man!” As Stubberud left the ring, I was able to see Hanssen.  He stood on the battle-field, eyeing his whip; it looked like a broken lily.  The spectators had not been silent; they had followed the fight with excitement, amid laughter and shouts.  “That’s right, Stubberud.  Don’t give in!” “Bravo, Hanssen! that’s a good one!”

The whips afterwards turned out remarkably well —­ not that they lasted out the trip, but they held together for a long while.  Whip-handles are a very perishable commodity; if one used nothing but the lash, they would be everlasting, but, as a rule, one is not long satisfied with that.  It is when one gives a “confirmation,” as we call it, that the handle breaks.  A confirmation is generally held when some sinner or other has gone wrong and refuses to obey.  It consists in taking the first opportunity, when the sledge stops, of going in among the dogs, taking out the defiant one, and laying into him with the handle.  These confirmations, if they occur frequently, may use up a lot of handles.

It was also arranged that Hanssen should prepare goggles in the Eskimo fashion, and he began this work; but it soon appeared that everyone had some patent of his own which was much better.  Therefore it was given up, and every man made his own goggles.

Stubberud’s chief work was making the sledge cases lighter, and he succeeded in doing this, but not without hard work.  It took far longer than one would have thought.  The wood had a good many knots, and he often had to work against the grain; the planing was therefore rather difficult and slow.  He planed a good deal off them, but could “guarantee them,” as he said.  Their sides were not many millimetres thick; to strengthen them in the joints, corners of aluminium were put on.