50 A SPRING AND SUMMER IN LAPLAND. 



for our sledges, a gentleman who was just starting 

 for that place politely offered me a seat in his 

 sledge. This I gladly accepted, as much for the 

 sake of the company as anything, and we started 

 long before the other sledge was ready (which, by 

 the way, was driven by a remarkably handsome 

 peasant girl ; and this circumstance probably 

 accounted for my mates not reaching Lefuar till 

 nearly two hours after myself). Arrived at Lefuar, 

 I could not do less than stand a bottle of punch 

 for my ride, for I could not think of offering post 

 money to a gentleman. When the bottle was out, 

 I thought he would go home, for the sledge stood 

 at the door, and he lived a short distance from 

 the inn. However, he loitered about the room ; 

 so, fancying he would like to "wet the other 

 eye," I proposed another half bottle, which, how- 

 ever, he refused, but remarked that it was the 

 post-money (Is. 8d.) which he was waiting for. 

 This would have seemed strange in England ; but 

 these sons of the north are " practical men." I 

 remember, in my day, that the rule of the road at 

 home used to be that the odd man should pay 

 " the pikes" for his ride ; and as there are no toll- 

 bars here, I reckoned the punch instead. 



When we left next morning at day-break, 

 although the thermometer only showed 2 of cold, 

 Celsius (28 1 Fahr.), the wind was more cutting 



