The Land of the Long Night

e Made.-Learning to Use Them.-Joseff's Instructions.-Ha

you must learn to go on skees; otherwise you will not be able to travel, for the snow is very deep furthe

ace where you are to learn. It will be easy for you to walk

se words: "I give them to you; when you wander further north and walk with them, think of me." I thanked Joseff for his gift and said: "I will always remember y

birch bark fastened, over which there is a loop, and through this loop the foot passes. That part of the skee under the foot is concave, and here it is thickest, so that where it supports the weight of the person it c

many more skees; some were not more than six

teen feet long, he said, "These long skees are used chiefly in the province of Jemtland, which you passed on the shores of the Baltic on your way here. The snow is generally very deep there, and after a great snow fall, when it is very soft, long skees are needed so that they can bear up the we

hem. They are used in the spring when the snow is soft and becom

if you had an old pair of slippers much too large for you. You would have all the time to push your feet forward to keep them on. Do likewise with the skees. Your sharp-pointed Lapp shoes will help you to do this, as they so

e very useful when the snow is soft and the skees do not glide easily. Then propelling oneself with them makes one go faster. Though the snow is packed they will help you, as you are a beginner. The most important point to learn i

he two skees running parallel with each other; and when one had a tendency to go inside or outside, he corrected the deviation at once by a sli

what he had told me to do; but before I knew it the end of one skee overlapped the other and stopped my advance at once. Fortunately I was going sl

gress that day. At the end of the lesson Joseff said, "Do not be discouraged, Paulus, you will soon learn the knack. I will now show you how fast a man can go on skees. Look at me

eff!" I was filled with ambition. I wanted to learn as fas

was dripping from his face, though

with me; and after three days I was able to manage the skees tolerably well. I kept them in line and they d

to go down hill with them. This is difficult, and I do not know whether in one winter you can learn how to do it-at least so as

e to the foot of a pretty steep hill. Then Joseff said:

ep hill straight forward, for the skees would slip backward. We must ascend in zigzag," said Joseff; and then with his staff he showed me how we were to go. "Follow my furrow, then it will be e

ff he leaned his body forward, and down he went, faster than boys coasting down a very steep hi

was going very fast, and forgot to follow his advice; straightened myself and bent backward, and before I knew it my skees slipped from my feet. I was unskeed just like a man who is unhorsed, and was seated on the snow looking at my skees, which were going forward down the steep hill and o

reat part of your weight shall be on the end that sinks into the snow, and before you start let the stick be in the snow about three inches deep. Thus you will be prevented from going down too fast. Don't forget to start with your s

boulders as they go down hill, and a hill full of boulders only those who can guide their skees well can

s, try

indstorm blew over the land. The hillocks of snow were swept from where they stood and ne

ther. Nothing is warmer than reindeer skin, and it is convenient either when the wearer is dri

or having taught me to go on skees. And I continued