120 HUNTERS AND HUNTING IN THE ARCTIC 



mud composed of saturated clay, while here 

 shale rendered the ground fairly hard. 



We scaled a rock to examine through our 

 binoculars the valley extending before us, and 

 very quickly we detected a reindeer lying in the 

 snow less than a thousand yards away. Its 

 back was turned towards me, but as it occu- 

 pied a small platform, the approach presented 

 difficulties. It would not have been difficult to 

 approach from the bottom of the valley, but we 

 were easily seen from our elevated position. I 

 hid myself behind a rock to wait until the 

 animal changed its position, and rendered 

 approach less difficult. It was truly most 

 obliging ! After waiting a few minutes, I saw 

 it slowly rise and vanish into a small ravine near 

 the platform. Leaving Rachlew and the men 

 behind, and accompanied by Swensen, I ran as 

 fast as possible for a second boulder, behind 

 which we would be unobserved. I softly stole 

 forward to the place where the reindeer had dis- 

 appeared. To my great delight, I saw the tips of 

 its horns appear above the sides of the ravine, 

 and, exploring still further, I discovered that 

 instead of one, there were two reindeer lying 

 on the slope of the ravine. I approached within 

 fifty yards of them without attracting their 

 attention, and achieved the double coup. One 



