52 Recreations of a Sportsman 



ment, and shaped his pace with more modera- 

 tion. Instead of sliding down the slopes at full 

 speed, he slid at an angle, or coasted on the 

 pole and sought for easier routes. 



The sun dropped so that he lost it several 

 times, then, ascending, found it again. At last 

 he saw it sink over the distant mountains, los- 

 ing it entirely as he shot down through a pass 

 where blue and purple shadows were growing 

 and blending on the snow. He had travelled 

 hours with hardly a stop, and the pace was tell- 

 ing. Selecting a fir-tree, he brushed away the 

 snow, shook it from the lower branches, dug out 

 a burrow with his long knife, heaping up a wind- 

 break about him with skilful hands, and spread 

 his thick fur sleeping bag, which had a thin 

 rubber cover impervious to dampness; then he 

 lighted the alcohol lamp, melted some snow, add- 

 ing to it a portion of the milk, and in the folds 

 of the bag uncovered the little face and gave 

 the child its food. Only twice had the baby 

 cried since he started, and he wondered at it; 

 then he thought that perhaps it was sick, a pos- 

 sibility that had not occurred to him. But the 

 little face was warm, and by the light of the 

 lamp the bright eyes looked wonderingly into 

 his, giving the man a strange and novel sensa- 

 tion the feeling of paternity. He ate some 

 jerked venison and chocolate, then crawled into 

 the bag and, holding the fur bundle in his arms, 



