s in the
air across a chasm there is over yonder, with a river beyond, and find
out who can make the longest leap and be the champion. We want you to
come with us, for there will be great fun."

I replied, "I am certainly coming, for I have never seen such a game
before, and I like fun. Yes, boys, I like fun." They laughed heartily
when they heard me say this.

We made ready, and started on our skees, and after a run of about four
miles the Lapps stopped near the edge of a long and very steep hill, at
the foot of which was a plain.

There they said to me: "There is a wide gully, which you cannot see,
before reaching the bottom of the hill, and further down is a river. We
will go down this hill and leap over both the gully and the river on our
skees. Of course, the greater our speed, the longer the leap we make.
The danger is in not being able to reach the ledge on the other side;
but this makes the fun more exciting. It is very seldom, however, that
accidents happen, for no one undertakes these dangerous leaps unless he
is very sure of himself."

"What happens then," I asked, "if the leap falls short?"

"Then," he answered, "you may break your leg, or arm, or your neck; but
I do not know of any such misfortunes happening, though we hear once in
a great while in the mountains of an accident which results in death.
One of the great dangers in skeeing is that of striking a boulder hidden
under the crust of snow, or of falling over an unseen precipice. When we
are small children we learn to leap forward in the air and come down on
our skees, beginning by making small leaps from insignificant heights,
increasing the leap gradually as we have more practice, and so becoming
stronger and more agile and skilful in going down a hill."

Thereupon the Lapps took up their position along the brink of the hill
and stood in a straight line about ten or fifteen yards from each other.
It was a fine sight. At a given signal they started on their skees,
holding in one hand their sticks to be used as rudders to guide them.
They slid down at tremendous speed; suddenly I saw them fly through the
air, and then land below on their skees. They had leaped over the gully.
Then they continued their course faster than before, on account of the
momentum of the leap, and as they reached the bottom of the hill they
made another leap in the air, which took them over the river to the
plain beyond. After going a little further, for they could not st