374 NANSEN AS A MIGHTY NIMROD 



WAITING FOR THE QUARRY. 

 "The time seemed long. At first we listened with all our ears — the rein- 

 deer must come very soon — and our eyes wandered incessantly backward and 

 forward along the slope on the other side of the valley. But no reindeer 

 came, and soon we were having a struggle to keep our eyes open and our 

 heads up — we had not had much sleep the last few days. They must be com- 

 ing! We shook ourselves awake, and gave another look along the bank, till 

 again the eyes softly closed and the heads began to nod, while the chill wind 

 blew through our wet clothes, and I shivered with cold. This sort of thing 

 went on for an hour or two, until the sport began to pall on me, and I 

 scrambled from my shelter along towards Sverdrup, who was enjoying it 

 about as much as I was. We climbed the slope on the other side of the valley, 

 and were hardly at the top before we saw the horns of six splendid reindeer 

 on a height in front of us. They were restless, scenting westward, trotting 

 round in a circle, and then sniffing again. They could not have noticed us 

 as yet, as the wind was blowing at right angles to the line between them and 

 us. We stood a long time watching their maneuvers, and waiting their 

 choice of a direction, but they had apparently great difificuky in making it. 

 At last off they swung south and east, and off we went southeast as hard as 

 we could go, to get across their course before they got scent of us. Sverdrup 

 had got well ahead, and I saw him rushing across a flat piece of ground; 

 presently he would be at the right place to meet them. I stopped, to be in 

 readiness to cut them off on the other side if they should face about and make 

 off northward again. There were six splendid animals, a big buck in front. 

 They were heading straight for Sverdrup, who was now crouching down on 

 the slope. I expected every moment to see the foremost fall. A shot rang 

 out ! Round wheeled the whole flock like lightning, and back they came at 

 a gallop. It was my turn now to run with all my might, and off I went over 

 the stones, down towards the valley we had come from. I only stopped once 

 or twice to take breath, and to make sure the animals were coming in the 

 direction I had reckoned on— then off again. We were getting near each 

 other now ; they were coming on just where I had calculated ; the thing now 

 was to be in time for them. I made my long legs go their fastest over the 

 boulders, and took leaps from stone to stone that would have surprised my- 

 self at a more sober moment. More than once my foot slipped, and I went 

 down head first among the boulders, gun and all. But the wild beast in me 

 had the upper hand now. The passion of the chase vibrated through every 

 fibre of my body. 



