Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1902-12-25
A RElNDEER's RUN TO THE SEA.
They Hear 1.-THE Red Gods Calling,
and Nothing Can Keep Them.

New York Grandfather"
said James Henry the other night, as
the two sat before the open wood fire
and watched the red flames wallow UP
the chimney mouth, what about those
reindeer you promised to tell me Off"
f.. When did | promise that?' asked
the old gentleman.
why, the day we saw the wild fowl
going by over the marshes. like a
great arrow in the sky. Don't you
remember"
ooh, yes, l remember now" his
grandfather answered. "The straight
| flight of the birds made me think of
the great run of the reindeer for
/ taste Oh the salt sea. | never saw the
reindeer make this run, but have
heard others tell about it. l wish
that had been up in the frozen coun-
tries where the reindeer, the only
sort Of deer that man can tame and
harness, live, but ever to get there
You know, suppose, that the reindeer
live in the cold countries to the far
north of rs, especially N Lapland, in
northern EurcDe?"
Yes" said James Henry; I'VE
learned that at school"
well" said his grandfather, set
Ting back comfortably as log sank
down into the fire as if easing it's po-
sition, sending q shower Of sparks up
the chimney, some day you will
know what it means to live a life
none too full of variety, excitement
adventure, and to long for something
| you cannot have; to greatly desire in
, summer Whit of cold northern air;
to ache for the freedom of the woods
and the cool plunge in a mountain
stream while you have to slave all
day in hot office in the city. And
then you will think of what am going
to tell you about the reindeer.
| Fer once in the life Of the reindeer
i so they say, he must taste of the salt
! water; he longs for drink of it, and
/ has to get that drink or he dies. The
| Laplanders travel in large numbers to-
! getaer, and with them they have hun
| But one morning one Of the younger
of the herd is cen to prick up his nos
/, trils and scent the breeze. It may be
| that the village is a hundred miles
from the sea at the time; but he seems
to sriff the salt. and it makes him rest
less. His restlessness the next day
! has spread through the herd, and the
Laplanders begin to pack up their
/ cooking utensils and bedding, for they
know what is going to happen.
| The herd gets more and more rest
less, more and more unwilling to be
harnessed, till one morning they all
start in a body toward the distant
ocean, moving slowly and cropping the
moss as they 60 The Laplanders fol-
low them, having to carry their goods
lon their own back. and themselves
I drag the sledges. Soon the herd break
I into trot and forget to crop the
moss. Then the reindeer break from
trot to gal!op, and from a gallop
to a breakneck race, the thunder of
/ their hoofs reaches the camp for a
few minutes, and then they are gone
to drink from the polar sea.
The Laps who are following find
the trail broad at first, but on the sec
ond day it has narrowed down, there
are stains Of blood to be seen, and
soon he bodies OF the weaker deer ap-
pear on the plain, trodden down by
their stronger companions in the now
deadly race for salt. The narrow trail
is like an arrow, straight for the sea.
for the sharp, salt draught ahead.
How do the reindeer know the way
to the sea? No man can say. They