THE GOOSING 229 



hill than Mekolka turned down into a river-bottom 

 where the snow was lying- in broad belts. Here we put 

 the reindeer to the gallop, and sometimes on the snow, 

 sometimes on the river shallows, kept up that pace the 

 whole way home. All this time we were hidden from 

 the other travellers, who were moving over the higher 

 peaty land. 



We reached the camp, among a chorus of yelping from 

 the doos, nine minutes before the women and children 

 had arrived. When they reached the brow of the hill 

 they found to their astonishment the smoke of the fire 

 curling up. This was a very good joke. They laughed 

 and talked about it for some days after that. 



One curious result of the want of the definite article in 

 the Samoyed is that articles in daily use seem to become 

 personal. Just as a yachtsman talks of his boat — Saxon, 

 Valkyrie ^ Arrow — as though she were a human being, so 

 is it in Samoyed with everything. Thus — 



the fire — too 

 the bow — urn 

 the boat — arnoh 

 the big pot — yud. 



' Too wants wood,' 'Ynd is empty,' they say. So that 

 after a bit one comes to look on 'too,' 'yud,' and the 

 others as persons rather than things. 



I was now to all intents and purposes a Samoyed ; 

 eating goose with my fingers, drinking ' yah ' from the 

 bowl. They had indeed the advantage of me in eating, 



