REINDEER-STALKING 103 



flowed out of these lakes. One afternoon I caught 

 twelve trout in one of these streams, weighing as 

 many pounds, and could have doubled the bag had 

 time allowed or circumstances required. 



We did not see anything like the number of rein- 

 deer on that trip as on the occasion of my first visit. 

 These deer have at times a habit of moving range 

 from one f jeld to another, a circumstance which adds 

 additional uncertainty to the sport of stalking them. 

 For nearly a fortnight Jordhai and I saw no deer. 

 Then came a memorable Saturday. We had both 

 arrived at a stage of deep depression. To find and 

 kill a reindeer buck had become a matter of serious, 

 earnest business something more than a mere ques- 

 tion of relaxation and sport. So when, on the morning 

 of the day I speak of, we sat on a lofty granite peak, 

 and spied with our glasses three good reindeer bucks 

 lying on a snow-glacier more than a mile away, our 

 desire to make sure of a successful approach and kill 

 amounted to a nervous and almost painful anxiety. 



The ground was carefully studied and plans duly 

 laid. We could approach down the steep hillside 

 below us without fear of being seen, owing to the 

 distance, to within half a mile. And then came the 

 rub. An open flat had to be crossed. But Jordhai 

 thought there might be a convenient hollow on one 

 side which might give access to the deer. 



So we started the wind was right came to the 

 flat, and at first could see no way across without 

 showing ourselves. It came at last to a crawl through 

 and over 200 yards of stones a crawl that I shall 

 never forget. We left the dog behind tied to a rock, 

 his muzzle fastened with Jordhai's handkerchief, and 

 crawled accordingly. The deer lay in full view on 



