Voyage through the Kara Sea. 149 



stand still for a minute. In the midst of all this beauty, 

 man was doing the work of a beast of prey ! At this 

 moment I saw to the north a dark speck move clown the 

 height where the mate and Hansen ought to be. It 

 divided into two, and the one moved east, just to the 

 windward of the animals I was to stalk. They would 

 get the scent immediately, and be off. There was 

 nothing for it but to hurry on, while I rained anything 

 but good wishes on these fellows' heads. The gully 

 was not so deep as I had expected. Its sides w T ere 

 just high enough to hide me when I crept on all fours. 

 In the middle were large stones and clayey gravel, 

 with a little runnel soaking through them. The reindeer 

 were still grazing quietly, only now and then raising 

 their heads to look round. My "cover" got lower and 

 lower, and to the north I heard the mate. He would 

 presently succeed in setting off my game. It was 

 imperative to get on quickly, but there was no longer 

 cover enough for me to advance on hands and knees. 

 My only chance was to wriggle forward like a snake 

 on my stomach. But in this soft clay in the bed of 

 the stream ? Yes meat is too precious on board, and 

 the beast of prey is too strong in a man. My clothes 

 must be sacrificed ; on I crept on my stomach through 

 the mud. But soon there was hardly cover enough even 

 for this. I squeezed myself flat among the stones and 

 ploughed forward like a drain-cutting machine. And I 

 did make way, if not quickly and comfortably, still surely. 



