146 
THE REIN-DEER, 
to the commencement of the descent on the opposite 
side of tlie mountains. Hitherto we had considered 
ourselves fortunate in the clearness of the weather, 
but we were now about to experience a striking re- 
verse. Our guides, with the usual caution of these 
people when crossing the mountains, on looking to 
the westward, discovered a small misty apitearance, 
which slightly obscured that quarter, and seemed to 
be approaching us. I probably never w'ould have 
discovered it myself. The Laplanders, however, 
know too w’oll by experience what these mists por- 
tend, and are too fully aware of the danger of meet- 
ing tvith them, not to keep a constant look-out. In 
an instant wc were in confusion, our guide quickly 
made known the approach of our enemy in the rear, 
and the immediate necessity there was of pushing 
forw'ard at the utmost speed to which we could put 
the deer. 
“ The guide coming to me, and whispering in my 
ear with a seeming mystery, gave me a piece of ad- 
vice of some importance. The fog, said he with 
earnestness, would shortly overtake us, and when 
that hap[)ened, he briefly counselled me to halloo on 
my deer as fast as it could gallop, — to mind no other 
person, and never to be in the rear. My deer, in- 
deed, was one of tlie best and fleetest of the herd, 
and I was now so expert in the management of both 
animal and pulk, that I felt tolerably confident I 
should not he the hindmost, except some accident 
occun-ed. Fastening, therefore, the end of the rein 
