that sensation is lost at the very moment when these precautions are taken.  And then one must be an old hand to know what has happened.  Many men conclude that, as they no longer feel the unpleasant smarting sensation, all is well; and at the evening inspection a frozen foot of tallow-like appearance presents itself.  An event of this kind may ruin the most elaborately prepared enterprise, and it is therefore advisable in the matter of feet to carry one’s caution to lengths which may seem ridiculous.

Now, it is a fact that if one can wear soft foot-gear exclusively the risk of frost-bite is far less than if one is compelled to wear stiff boots; in soft foot-gear, of course, the foot can move far more easily and keep warm.  But we were to take ski and to get full use out of them, so that in any case we had to have a stiff sole for the sake of the bindings.  It is of no use to have a good binding unless you can use it in the right way.  In my opinion, on a long journey such as that we had before us, the ski must be perfectly steady.  I do not know anything that tires me more than a bad fastening —­ that is, one that allows the foot to shift in the binding.  I want the ski to be a part of oneself, so that one always has full command of them.  I have tried many patents, for I have always been afraid of a stiff fastening in cold temperatures; but all these patents, without exception, are worthless in the long-run.  I decided this time to try a combination of stiff and soft foot-gear, so that we could use the splendid Huitfeldt-Hoyer Ellefsen bindings; but this was no easy matter.  Of our whole outfit nothing caused me more worry or gave us all more work in the course of the expedition than the stiff outer covering which we had to have; but we solved the problem at last.  I applied to one of the leading makers of ski-boots in Christiania, and explained the difficulty to him; fortunately I had found a man who was evidently interested in the question.  We agreed that he should make a sample pair after the pattern of ski-boots.  The sole was to be thick and stiff —­ for we had to be prepared to use crampons —­ but the uppers as soft as possible.  In order to avoid leather, which usually becomes stiff and easily cracked in the cold, he was to use a combination of leather and thin canvas for the uppers —­ leather nearest the sole, and canvas above it.

The measurements were taken from my foot, which is not exactly a child’s foot, with two pairs of reindeer-skin stockings on, and ten pairs were made.  I well remember seeing these boots in civilized Christiania.  They were exhibited in the bootmaker’s windows —­ I used to go a long way round to avoid coming face to face with these monsters in public.  We are all a trifle vain, and dislike having our own shortcomings shown up in electric light.  If I had ever cherished any illusions on the subject of “a dainty little foot,” I am sure the last trace of such vanity died out on the day I passed the shoemaker’s window and beheld my own boots.  I never went that way again until I was certain that the exhibition was closed.  One thing is certain, that the boots were a fine piece of workmanship.  We shall hear later on of the alterations they had to undergo before we at last made them as large as we wanted, for the giant boots turned out much too small!