DOMESTICATED REINDEER INTO ALASKA. 49 



stop, there will be a piece of him left large enough for decent mince- 

 meat. 



I have always had a weakness for riding behind a lively team, and 

 my experience with bronchos, Indian ponies, and wild steers dashing 

 across a level stretch of country has afforded sufficient excitement to 

 satisfy me on more than one occasion; but they all lade into insignifi- 

 cance when compared with a ride behind a pah- of lively reindeer. 



In riding a broncho or Indian pony one realizes that all he has to do 

 is to keep his seat in the saddle and he will eventually haul up all 

 right, or, if he is thrown off, he can lie quietly on the ground and think 

 it all over; and in a wagon behind a pair of runaway steers, if killed 

 at all it will probably occur suddenly, and he can take his chances with 

 a broken limb by jumping out. Butin driving reindeer the lines, looped 

 over his wrists, make him a secure prisoner, and he is just as certain to 

 continue a part of the load the team will carry until they stop, as the 

 lines are sure not to break, something that rarely if ever occurs. 



On the morning of November 6, I experienced my first drive with 

 reindeer. The mercury stood at about zero, and the ground was pretty 

 well covered with snow. In some places a hard crust had formed, 

 and in others lay drifts a foot or so deep, of newly Mien snow, while 

 in spots, where the wind had a little freer scope, mounds or little hil- 

 locks among the tundra were entirely bare. 



1 did not announce my intention to drive alone until the team was 

 all ready to start, and when the Siberians learned my intention they 

 seemed horrified and expostulated with me. I did not see anything so 

 dreadful about it and finally slipped the reins over my hands. 



The proper position to assume before mounting a sled is to have it 

 drawn up on the right side of the off deer, the driver to hold that one 

 by the head stall, and when he is all ready, let go, and by lifting up 

 his right leg and dropping down at the same time he is pretty apt to 

 find a seat on the sled, for no sooner does he let go from the deer he 

 is holding than off they go. 



I got thus far in the preliminary exercises all right, but in a moment 

 I did not know whether I was on the sled or not, being conscious only 

 of being jerked along at a furious rate, and clouds of snow hurled all 

 about me. For some moments I kept my seat, but suddenly a frozen 

 snowdrift was encountered when over I went, and was dragged through 

 drifts and over frozen heaps until the deer finally stopped from exhaus- 

 tion. 



As soon as I got upon my feet I took a view of my surroundings. 

 I was completely covered with snow, and just over my right temple 

 .there was a stinging pain, caused by being si ruck with one of the 

 runners of the sled. I looked toward the station to see if anyone was 



( ' tog to my rescue, and saw what appeared to be all the natives from 



the village watching me, and I thought I could hear them laughing. 

 This settled it, and when the deer were ready I was ready also, and 

 S. Ex. 70 4 



