in getting out of the honeycombed track
into a smooth and open region.

All at once I noticed that Pehr Wasara was going much faster than I did.
I was losing ground. His reindeer seemed now to fly over the snow.
Suddenly he disappeared; he was going down a hill. Now it was the turn
of my reindeer to go fast. I prepared myself for the occasion, for I did
not know how steep was the descent. I said to myself, "Paul, you must
not upset; bend your body on the opposite side when the sleigh makes the
curve, and be quick when the time arrives. Do this in the nick of time."

Down I went. The animal reached the bottom, and before I knew it made a
sharp curve to prevent the sleigh striking his legs. I gave a shout of
joy. I had not upset. I felt quite proud.

At the next hill I was more proud than ever, for Pehr Wasara upset and I
did not, but I had never seen a Lapp get quicker into a sleigh than he
did. Further on Pehr stopped and waited for me. When I came to him I
found myself on the edge of a long and very abrupt hill, and he said:
"This hill is too steep, we must descend it in long zigzags, so that the
sleighs may not strike the legs of our reindeer, for if we do not do
this the sleigh will go faster than the reindeer. Follow in my track,
and use your stick with skill to guide the sleigh. Your reindeer will
follow mine without trouble."

Hill after hill was ascended and descended. Now I had got the knack. At
every sharp curve I managed to bend my body out on the other side in
time, and thus avoided being thrown out. Then we came to a forest of
large fir trees, which surprised me, for we were in 69 degrees latitude.

The trees were very thick. Pehr Wasara alighted and led his reindeer,
for fear of striking against them, and I did likewise. It was a relief
to move one's legs, for it is very tiresome to sit for hours with legs
stretched out. Afterwards we got again into our sleighs, and at the end
of a pleasant drive we reached our own tent and I was received with a
hearty welcome by the family.

The next day Pehr said to me, "We are going to kill some reindeer this
morning, for the skins of the animals are at their best now and their
fur is very thick. We want clothing, shoes, and gloves. With their
sinews we will make our thread. We want also new reins, new traces, new
lassos."

In the afternoon eight reindeer were brought before the tent. These were
to be slaughtered. My host said to me: "Paulus, we are going to show