The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-08-11
HUNTING REINDEER.


 HUNTING REINDEER.
 The following morning the huge mountains were wrapped in mist. One could only dimly discern the bluish, furrowed glaciers which, like great rivers traversed the mountain side, as if making for the deep-frozen lake. hunt was, all the same, to be attempted, and we drove against the wind in an easterly direction along the borders of the lake, We had hardly covered more than five miles before the dogs got the scent Of reindeer. which they can nose at a great distance: but as none of Us thought that we were very near the deer we allowed the eager dogs to go ahead for awhile before we tied the dogs to some stones, but could not make them keep quiet. They snarled and growIed necessarily while we proceeded along the side of the lake
 with loaded rifles, and climbed a small hill. Then We saw, at distance of not more than two thousand feet, a large hedr of reindeer, about twenty, uneasi- ly moving about on a plain, but there was no rise in the ground behind which we could shelter. The gogs went on with their music and the reindeer be- gan to move in the direction of the lake. We threw ourselves flat on the ground, all five of us, and, out of breath, began to creep over the snow in arder to get a hot at the herd before, they reached the lake. But what all most invariably happens also happened here-the lack of discipline among the Greenlanders made them quite forget our agreement about united attack, and that we should only fire from a re- clining position. The Greenlanders are accustomed to go out shooting single handed, and are, therefore, apt to dis regard the wishes of their companions, Lars, the eldest of them, who was in l front, suddenly rose to his full height and fred But he missed, and the rein deer at once started off in hurried flight l A couple of bullets which we sent after them at a considerable distance only served to further frighten the deer, which. when at a safe distance, again l joined forces, and in Indian file, with almost military precision, disappeared ] across the lake. We stood for a long time watching these grand animals, I which, with proud bearing, fled from l the danger that menaced them, and at last vanished in the mist. y We spent the rest of the day in a ia I tigufng exploration of the mountains l looking for deer, of which, however, we #l saw none The following night was a \ very trying one for me; had the tooth-
 ache. The climate and the food of
 Arctic countries often spoil the teeth of
 Europeans. did not know what to do. \ I had no remedies handy, and did not .I get wink of sleep on account of the in- 4 tense pain. But when, the next morn- I ing, we set out in clear frosty weather,
 with eager, alert dogs, traversing the I lake in a westerly direction, the excite T ment of our anticipated hunt drove N away all thoughts of toothache. It was I long and fast drive. That day we I meant to have some deer. Lars three I dogs had unfortunately made off during
 the night, and had probably gone back
 to their comrades at Sarkak, and he ano l I consequently had only. nine dogs fol
 our sledge none of which knew any thing about the same part at a reindeer hunt as in the Uper navik district, fur thest north in Danish West Greenland they do at an ice bear hunt They seem . their way to track, follow it up, take !. the huntsman to his prey, and stop the wounded animals. s.5,
 We had, therefore, some trouble 1T : keeping up with the two other sledges both of which had clever reindeer dogs in their teams, which in wild longing for a taste of reindeer blood, rushed , along a track they had just found With some trouble they were pulled up and we then saw, about mile off, sev en reindeer grazing unconcernedly on plain. Quick action was now essential We at once abandoned our method Q | the previous day--of arying to approach the animals by creeping on the ground and instead made up our minds to driv against the wind as quickly as possibl in the direction of the animals, am l rush in among them with rifles ready l And off we flew, the sledge jumpinI and pumping violently. My dogs be came quite manageable when the, , saw the other teams rush off. In a feN minutes Johan's sledge had come t , close quarters with the herd, which sud y denly discovered us, and in their terro
 did not know in which direction to f1et D By throwing hoop under the sledg } runners, Johan fanaged to pull up hi
 sledge, and in spite of the frantic pull ing of the dogs, to take aim and firt An animal with a smashed fore-le b limped hurriedly away. The Copenha gener's sledge now came rushing up; was promptly stopped, and he and Pa
 via fired once or twice. I saw in tn
 distance one deer fall lifeless to tn
 ground and another limp away wound
 ed. At last my sledge, too, came ul
 but then the rest of the herd had gon
 off in the widest flight. Lars and
 could not reach them with our bullet
 Johan and Pavia unharnessed som of their reindeer dogs, and with thes
 running some distance ahead of the
 sledges, they both drove off in the d \ rection of their respective Wounde