A REINDEER EIDE THROUGH LAPLAND. 23 



took this proposal seriously, and was evidently very 

 much annoyed at what he considered our stinginess. 

 Still there was nothing for him but to agree to this 

 bargain, which he did with a very bad grace. 



Though still early in the day the cold was very 

 severe, and it was with some misgiving that I occa- 

 sionally touched my nose and chin to fihd out if 

 these were yet intact, or if, as sometimes happens, 

 they had, unknown to me, dropped off by the way. 

 However, as yet no such calamity occurred. With 

 the sun shining in cloudless splendour behind us, we 

 now faced the hills, and after several hours of very 

 rough work reached the summit. It was now after- 

 noon, and the sun cast a glorious red glow over the 

 whole fjeld, causing it to appear as if dyed with 

 blood. 



One disagreeable and curious result of the clear 

 weather and strong sunshine was the absolute dis- 

 appearance, if I may call it, of perspective. Looking 

 before you, you would perhaps see what seemed to 

 be a very high hill looming a great distance in front 

 of you, which, however, in a very short time, turned 

 out to be a small hillock a few yards away. It was 

 on this line of march that we encountered our first 

 sharp descent, which I shall here describe. We had 

 been going slowly uphill, when suddenly I noticed 

 the leading deer and poolk disappear as if into a hole ; 

 the same occurred to all the others* before me, and, 

 on my turn coming, I held fast to my place, expecting 



