1 66 ICE-BOUND ON KOLGUEV 



side of the choom you had but to snap your fingers and 

 whisper ' Chua,' and in a moment he was sprawling all 

 over you, wriggling like an eel. 



These, then, were some of the dogs. 



Off went Mekolka on his sleigh, and rounded up the 

 the herd. It was not so easy as it may seem. There 

 were five hundred reindeer in this herd, and they were 

 scattered far away. But the team was taken at a rapid 

 trot round and round the herd, and the dogs worked also, 

 as sheep-dogs work at home. The bulls and steers 

 would always run from the dogs, but a cow, especially if 

 she had a youngish calf, would often charge and charge 

 again. But the whole herd is brought up at last ; the 

 steers and bulls being then penned — for in a strong herd 

 such as this the cows are not worked at this time of year. 



As the deer come up all the ' choom ' turns out to meet 

 them. The draught deer as a rule are pretty quiet, and 

 draw up together more or less of their own accord. 

 They are brought up on to the level rise on which 

 stands the choom, and then the women and children en- 

 circle the lots, with a bit of light string held in the hand, 

 while the men going into the ring make up their various 

 teams. Some of the deer have to be caught and haltered ; 

 some are so quiet that an arm over their necks is suffi- 

 cient to guide them about. 



Then the creatures are harnessed up, and off we go. 



The two little girls each drove their team of three 

 reindeer, and wonderfully well they managed, jumping on 



