me of the owner of a
herd, and each mark, have to be recorded in court like those of any
owner of property."
CHAPTER XIV
MOVING CAMP.--ANOTHER GREAT BLIZZARD.--A REMARKABLE SIGHT.--DEER
GETTING THEIR FOOD BY DIGGING THE SNOW.--HOW REINDEER ARE
BUTCHERED.
The next day after our conversation about reindeer Pehr Wasara said to
me: "We are going to move away our camp and take our reindeer to a new
pasture," an expression that struck me as somewhat singular, as the
country lay under snow to the depth of five or six feet. "Some of us are
going to fetch the draught animals, and I will be back in a short time."
With these words he left with some of his people.
They returned with a fine lot of trained reindeer.
In the mean time there had been a great commotion in the camp; everybody
was busy; the tent had been packed in two bundles; its frame made three
packages; the frozen reindeer milk, all the provisions, meat, garments,
robes, skins,--in a word, everything they had was loaded on different
sleighs and secured.
The babies were carefully fixed in their queer-looking cradles, and made
quite safe against blustering winds.
Everything being ready, the reindeer were harnessed and we started. Soon
after, we came to the herd which had been bunched by the Lapps, the
dogs keeping them together. Then we began our march.
The herd moved in advance, in a body. Men, women and children on their
skees moved after them with great rapidity, with their dogs to help them
in the work of keeping the herd together. They all shouted and urged the
dogs to look out, but this required, I thought, no urging, for the dogs
were on the alert and knew what to do. In the rear were three Lapps with
their dogs driving the reindeer forward; the dogs barked behind the
heels of the animals, and once in a while would bite the legs of those
that did not move fast enough.
The women worked just as hard as the men, and those who had babies
carried them in their cradles, slung on their backs, and went as fast on
their skees as if they had been free from burdens. The babies were
evidently very comfortable, for they were very quiet.
It was a fine sight to see the herd of over three thousand reindeer on
the move over the vast plain of snow. After two hours we arrived at the
place of our encampment.
The Lapps hurried the putting up of the tent. The snow had been
shovelled from the place where it was to stand. They were laying the
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