AN ARCTIC RESIDENCE 263 



He is a scientific entomologist, and was studying 

 the pulicidce. Being anxious to ascertain whether 

 the flea inhabiting the person of the High Fjeld 

 Lapp was the same as that found on the Coast 

 Lapp, he announced that he would give one kroner 

 for every fine specimen of pulex irritans retained 

 for science. The news spread like wild-fire, and 

 Hammerfest swarmed with Lapps of every age and 

 sex. Each Lapp that came to official headquarters 

 felt that he carried on his own person a banking 

 account running (and biting) to several hundred 

 kroners. However, the first two original inhabitants 

 of Finmark examined yielded such splendid results 

 that no further hosts were required, and when this 

 unwelcome news was announced a riot broke out 

 that threatened serious consequences. 



So the summer passed away, and as the expected 

 U-boats had not yet arrived, I hoped to get away 

 for a day or two up the coast and see either the 

 Alten Fjord or the North Cape at close quarters. 

 But better luck was in store. One day I was talk- 

 ing to the Chief of the Customs, and he informed 

 me that on the following day Mr. Arthur Johnsen, 

 who lived on an island called Rolfso, about forty 

 miles north of Hammerfest, would arrive, and that 

 if I cared to hunt wild reindeer Mr. Johnsen would 

 probably allow me to do so for a small fee. The 

 island farmer duly arrived, and told me that there 

 was, indeed, a herd of wild reindeer on his island, 

 but that he had not seen them for some months, 

 but that if I came to the island in early September 

 he would furnish me with a local hunter, and that 

 I should probably be able to find the deer in a day's 

 journey from his home. This was excellent news. 



