op at
once, they came to a halt. Then returning they examined the leaps, to
see who among them had made the longest one.

After they had ascertained who was the champion in the first contest,
they continued to ascend the hill in zigzags on their skees, and after
this tiresome task they came to where they had left me.

I said to them, "Friends, I am going down the hill, for I shall then be
able to see better your great leaping feats, and how wide and deep is
the space you leap over, for from the top of the hill it cannot be seen.
Wonderful, indeed, are your skill and daring! Such tremendous leaps as
you made can never be accomplished by man except on skees. I wish I
could have been brought up to go on skees like yourselves, from my
childhood, then I should enjoy this greatly, and compete for the
championship. It is far better fun than skating." "Certainly," they
shouted with one voice, "there is ten times more fun in skeeing than in
skating. It is like all sports, the more danger there is in them the
greater are the excitement and the interest."

"But," said I, "I must go down this hill in a roundabout way, for I do
not want to fall into the hollow over which you leaped."

"It would not hurt you," they cried; "you would find plenty of snow at
the bottom if you should fall in." It was agreed that one of the Lapps
should go with me and show me the way through a less steep descent to
the chasm. We made the descent successfully, and came to a good position
from which I could see the men make the great leap.

Looking up, I saw all the Lapps in position ready for the descent and
waiting for the raising of the little American flag I always carried
with me,--a custom which dates from the time of my travels in Africa--as
the signal to start. As I unfolded it, I kissed it with great affection.
How beautiful the stars and stripes looked as they waved in the breeze
and over the snow!

At this signal the Lapps started. Suddenly I noticed that one of
them--the last one in the row--bore down directly upon me. "Goodness!" I
said to my companion, pointing out to him the Lapp above, "suppose this
man as he comes down should happen to strike me."

The Lapp heard me with a smile, and replied: "Paulus, do not be afraid;
he will guide his skees as skilfully as a skilful boatman steers his
boat. I think perhaps he intends to touch you with his hands as he
passes by you, so do not be frightened; do not move an inch; he is one
of the mos