402 



again. Fortunately, unalarmed they 

 were coming diagonally toward us. 

 I saw them again nearer and they 

 looked like maggots crawling swiftly 

 along. 



Another hour of patient progres- 

 sion behind sheltering knolls and 

 boulders, when Updal motioned for 

 still greater care and to get ready to 

 * shoot.' 



The silence of that man-neglected 

 place was broken by a curious low 

 sound, like the noises of stiff paper 

 being crumpled, or of a Katydid 

 chorus muffled to pianissimo; this 

 sank away into the quiet, then began 

 again louder. Updal pulled us 

 still closer into the hollow where 

 we were hidden. The noises stopped 

 again. Quickly he urged us between 

 some boulders and around a little 

 knoll; then a wonderful vision pre- 

 sented itself, a great herd of grey- 

 brown animals with snag-like antlers, 

 suggesting a flooded forest, were 

 grouped between a lakelet and some 

 rock-walled steeps, a family party 

 at home in a most appropriate 

 reindeer drawing-room. Quietly 

 were they feeding, some drinking at a 



