VOYAGE THROUGH THE KARA SEA 163 



moment I saw to the north a dark speck move down the 

 height where the mate and Hansen ought to be. It 

 divided into two, and the one nioved east, just to the 

 windward of the animals I was to stalk. They would 

 get the scent immediately and be off. There was 

 nothing for it but to hurry on, while I rained anything 

 but good wishes on these fellows' heads. The gully 

 was not so deep as I had expected. Its sides were 

 just high enough to hide me when I crept on all fours. 

 In the middle were large stones and clayey gravel, 

 with a little runnel soaking through them. The reindeer 

 were still grazing quietly, only now and then raising 

 their heads to look round. My " cover " got lower and 

 lower, and to the north I heard the mate. He would 

 presently succeed in setting off my game. It was im- 

 perative to get on quickly, but there was no longer 

 cover enough for me to advance on hands and knees. 

 My only chance was to wriggle forward like a snake on 

 my stomach. But in this soft clay — in the bed of the 

 stream ? Yes — meat is too precious on board, and the 

 beast of prey is too strong in a man. My clothes must 

 be sacrificed ; on I crept on my stomach through the 

 mud. But soon there was hardly cover enough even for 

 this. I squeezed myself flat among the stones and 

 ploughed forward like a drain-cutting machine. And I 

 did make way, if not quickly and comfortably, still surely. 

 All this time the sky was turning darker and darker 

 red behind me, and it was getting more and more 



