now THE REINDEER LIVE 373 



of a fire. Food and water are not always to be had either, 

 and sometimes, in the end, he becomes almost as much a 

 wild animal as the reindeer themselves. When he eats, 

 he eats strange things ; as for washing, he never thinks 

 about that at all. His sole companion is his dog, with 

 whom he shares whatever he has ; but all his hard- 

 ships seem light, for are they not suffered for his beloved 

 herd ? 



In Norway and Lapland great herds of reindeer may 

 be seen, during the summer, wandering along the banks of 

 rivers, or making for the mountains, returning with the 

 approach of winter to their old quarters. With the first 

 snow-fall they are safe under shelter, for this is the time 

 when wolves are most to be feared. In the spring they 

 are let loose again, and are driven carefully to some spot 

 which is freer from midges than the rest. And so life goes 

 on from year to ye*r. 



Reindeer herding is by no means so easy as it looks, 

 and it would be quite impossible, even to a Lapp, if it 

 were not for the help of dogs, who are part of the 

 family. They are small creatures, hardly so big as a Spitz, 

 and very thin, with close compact hair all over their 

 bodies. These dogs are very obedient, and understand 

 every movement of their master's eyelid. They will not 

 only keep the herd together on land, but follow them into 

 a river, or across an arm of the sea. It is they who rescue 

 the weaklings in danger of drowning, after their winter's 

 fast, and in the autumn, when the reindeer have grown 

 strong from good living, drive the herd back again through 

 the bay. 



A herd of reindeer on the march is a beautiful sight 

 to see. They go quickly along, faster than any other 

 domestic animal, and are kept together by the herdsman 

 and his dogs, who are untiring in their efforts to bring up 

 stragglers. 



When a good stretch of pasture is found, the Lapps 

 build a fold, into which the reindeer are driven every 



