Vovacre through the Kara Sea. 



i =; i 



I was in a splendid position, so far as I could tell in the 

 dark, but I could not see the bead any better than 

 before. It was impossible to get nearer, for there was 

 only a smooth slope between us. There was no sense 

 in thinking of waiting for light to shoot by ; it was 

 now midnight, and I had that terrible mate to the north 

 of me, besides the wind was not to be trusted. I held 

 the rifle up against the sky to see the bead clearly, 

 and then lowered it on the reindeer. I did this once, 

 twice, thrice. The bead was still far from clear ; but 

 all the same I thought I might hit, and pulled the 

 trigger. The two deer gave a sudden start, looked 

 round in astonishment, and bolted off a little way south. 

 There they stood still again, and at this moment were 

 joined by a third deer, which had been standing rather 

 farther north. I fired off all the cartridges in the magazine, 

 and all to the same good purpose. The creatures 

 started and moved off a little at each shot, and then 

 trotted farther south. Presently they made another 

 halt, to take a long careful look at me ; and I dashed 

 off westward, as hard as I could run, to turn them. 

 Now they were off straight in the direction where some 

 of my comrades ought to be. I expected every moment 

 to hear shots and see one or two of the animals fall ; but 

 away they ambled southwards, quite unchecked. At 

 last, far to the south, crack went a rifle. I could see by 

 the smoke that it was at too long a range ; so in high 

 dudgeon I shouldered rny rifle and lounged in the direc- 



