i6o FARTHEST NORTH 



rocks that have been ground smooth by the glaciers of 

 the Ice A^e, The Frani anchored on the north side 

 of the largest of them, and while the boiler was being 

 refitted, some of us went ashore in the evening for some 

 shootinsf. We had not left the ship when the mate, 

 from the crow's - nest, caught sight of reindeer. At 

 once we were all agog; every one wanted to go ashore, 

 and the mate was quite beside himself with the hunters 

 fever, his eyes as big as saucers, and his hands trembling 

 as though he were drunk. Not until we were in the boat 

 had w^e time to look seriously for the mate's reindeer. 

 We looked in vain — not a living thing was to be seen in 

 any direction. Yes — when we were close inshore we at 

 last descried a large flock of geese waddling upward from 

 the beach. We were base enough to let a conjecture 

 escape us that these were the mate's reindeer — a sus- 

 picion which he at first rejected with contempt. Gradu- 

 ally, however, his confidence oozed away. But it is pos- 

 sible to do an injustice even to a mate. The first thing 

 I saw when I sprang ashore was old reindeer tracks. 

 The mate had now the laugh on his side, ran from track 

 to track, and swore that it was reindeer he had seen. 



When we got up on to the first height we saw several 

 reindeer on fiat ground to the south of us ; but, the wind 

 beino- from the north, we had to go back and make our 

 way south along the shore till we got to leeward of them. 

 The onlv one who did not approve of this plan was the 

 mate, who was in a state of feverish eagerness to rush 



