THE CRIPPLE. 199 



their climate, and recalled with lively recollection the 

 period of privation experienced by my companions 

 and myself on a late occasion, and conjm'ed up 

 painful images of the horrible fate we might have 

 met. On an occasion when it was necessary to drive 

 the reindeer to a distance inland for pasture, this 

 man, with another, had performed the task, and 

 while engaged in tending them, or perhaps on the 

 return journey, were surrounded by a snow storm, 

 lost their way, and were two days and nights 

 exposed to the lowest temperatm'e. The end of 

 this period found his comrade a rigid corpse, and 

 himself a hopeless cripple, his legs being frozen quite 

 through nearly to the thighs ; how he reached home 

 I do not know, nor how he recovered from such a 

 horrible condition; most probably he was sought 

 for, or perhaps dragged himself to the nearest hamlet, 

 and vigour of constitution must have saved him 

 from sinking under the tedious and trying period 

 of recovery ; here he was at any rate stumping along 

 upon the two remnants of legs, each of which had 

 a broad flattened pad beneath, to serve as a sort 

 of foot, without which he would sink into the snow. 



1 do not know any sight more calculated to excite 

 feelings of commiseration and melancholy reflection, 

 than that of a strong man, full of power and activity, 



