CHAPTER XXII. 



A SUEVEYOR'S LIFE, AND SHOOTING. 



BAUMANN and Stolz started northward on April 26 to map the 

 tracts east of Norskebugten, and about Baumann Fjord. On 

 May 1 they met a herd of polar oxen, the encounter with which 

 Baumaun describes as follows : 



' It was the spring of 1901, May 1. We were two together on 

 a sledge-journey for the purpose of mapping some of the fjords 

 on the west side of King Oscar Land. It was nearly four in the 

 afternoon, and, as we had driven some twenty-five miles in the 

 course of the day, I thought that was enough, but as we were in 

 rather good game country, I first drove up on to the ridge of a hill 

 and had a good look round with the glasses. On a bare ridge, 

 about two miles away, I saw two reindeer, and farther away, 

 perhaps as far again, but in about the same direction, were four 

 polar oxen. On seeing this we at once drove down into the hollow 

 of a valley and made out the plan of campaign. Put shortly, it 

 was as follows : 



' First of all I was to try and stalk the reindeer ; but, as the 

 ground was exceedingly open, there was little probability of my 

 coming within range. We therefore agreed that I should proceed 

 by way of the ridge of a hill, and fire off a signal shot if the rein- 

 deer made off; my companion was then to take with him the 

 three best hunting dogs, namely, " Gulen," " Moses," and " Silla," 

 and join me, and we would then start together for the oxen. My 

 companion had never before been polar-ox shooting. 



' Matters went as I expected : the reindeer made off long 

 before I was within range. I fired a shot from the top of the 

 hill, and heard from the dogs that my signal had been observed, 



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