New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-11-09
REINDEER AND SALTW AFTER
JAMES HENRY'S GRANDFATHER TELLS
HIM OF HOW THE FORMER
SEEK THE LATTER.
SEEK THE LATTET

Grandfather" said James Henry the other
night 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,
When did / promise that asked the old
gentleman.
why, the day we saw the wild fowl going
by over the marshes, like great arrow in the
sky. Don't you remember
oh yes. / remember now his grandfather
answered. The straight flight of the birds
made think OF the great run Of the reindeer
for taste of the salt sea. 1 never saw the
reindeer make this run, but have heard others
tell about il. / wish that had been up in the
frozen countries where the reindeer. the only
sort of deer that man can tame and harness.
live but never have been. and am too old
now ever 10 get there. You know, i suppose,
that the reindeer live i'm the cold countries TO the
far north of us, especially in Lapland, in North
Europe?"
YES" said James Henry; I'VE learned that at
school"
We'll" said his grandfather settling back
comfortably as a log sank down into the fire as
If easing its position. sending a shower OF
sparks up the chimney, some day you VIII
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 de-
sire in summer a Whit OF cold northern air;
10 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 viii think of what i am going 70
,e11 Won about the reindeer. For once in the life
NJ The reindeer so they say, he must taste Of the
sal. water: he longs for a drink Of ii, and has
10 get that drink he dies. The Laplanders
travel in large numbers together, and with them
they have hundreds of reindeer, tame and doclle.
But one morning one of the younger of the herd
is seen 10 prick up his nostrils and scent the
breeze II may be that the village is a hun
dr.d miles from the sea at the time; but he
seems 10 sniff the salt, and il 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 10 happen
1.-The herd gets more and more restless, more
ard more unwilling 10 be harnessed, till one
morning they all start in a body toward the dis
tant ocean, moving slowly and cropping the
moss as they go. The Laplanders follow them,
having 10 carry their goods on their own backs
and themselves drag the sledges Soon the herd
break into trot and forget to crop the moss
Then the reindeer break from trot TO a gallop
and from a galop to a breakneck race, the thun-
der Of their koofs reaches the camp for 4 few
minutes, and then they are gone TO drink from
the polar sea
''The Laps who are following ind the trail
broad at first, but on the second day il has mar
rowed down, there are stains Of blood TO be
seen, and soon the bodies Of the weaker deer
appear on the plain, trodden down by their
stronger companions in the now deadly race for
salt The narrow TRAN 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 say They have an instinct
thar guides them, like the birds Perhaps they