fast and mid-day, when they were fed. This
exercising of animals might be a pleasant business, on the other hand it
could be the deuce and all: it depended on the pony and the weather. A
blubber fire was kept burning in the snug stable, which was built against
the lee wall of the hut: the ponies were, therefore, quite warm, and
found it chilly directly they were led outside, even if there was no
wind.

The difficulties of exercising them in the dark were so great that with
the best intentions in the world it was difficult to give them sufficient
work for the good feeding they received. Add to this the fact that one at
any rate of these variable animals was really savage, and that most of
them were keen to break away if possible, and the hour of exercise was
not without its thrills even on the calmest and most moonlight days. The
worst days were those when it was difficult to say whether the ponies
should be taken out on the sea-ice or not. It was thick weather that was
to be feared, for then, if the leader once lost his bearings, it was most
difficult for him to return. An overcast sky, light falling snow, perhaps
a light northerly wind generally meant a blizzard, but the blizzard might
not break for twenty-four hours, it might be upon you in four seconds. It
was difficult to say whether the pony should miss his exercise, whether
the fish trap should be raised, whether to put off your intended trip to
Cape Royds. Generally the risks were taken, for, on the whole, it is
better to be a little over-bold than a little over-cautious, while always
there was a something inside urging you to do it just because there was a
certain risk, and you hardly liked not to do it. It is so easy to be
afraid of being afraid!

Let me give one instance: it must be typical of many. It was thick as it
could be, no moon, no stars, light falling snow, and not even a light
breeze to keep in your face to give direction. Bowers and I decided to
take our ponies out, and once over the tide crack, where the working
sea-ice joins the fast land-ice, we kept close under the tall cliffs of
the Barne Glacier. So far all was well, and also when we struck along a
small crack into the middle of the bay, where there was a thermometer
screen. This we read with some difficulty by the light of a match and
started back towards the hut. In about a quarter of an hour we knew we
were quite lost until an iceberg which we recognized showed us that we
had been walking