II.

Kesshoo knew very well where to look for the reindeer. He led the
way up a steep gorge where the first green moss appeared in the
spring. They all four walked quietly along for several miles.

When they got nearly to the head of the gorge, Kesshoo stopped.
He said to the boys, "You must not make any noise yourselves, and
you must not let the dogs bark. If you do there will be no
reindeer today."

The boys kept very still, indeed. The dogs were good hunting
dogs. They knew better than to bark.

They walked on a little farther. Then Kesshoo came very near the
others and spoke in a low voice. He said, "We are coming to a
spot where there are likely to be reindeer. The wind is from the
south. If we keep on in this direction, the reindeer will smell
us. We must go round in such a way that the wind will carry the
scent from them to us, not from us to them."

They turned to the right and went round to the north. They had
gone only a short distance in this direction, when they found
fresh reindeer tracks in the snow. The dogs began to sniff and
strain at their harnesses.

"They smell the game," whispered Kesshoo. "Hold on tight! Don't
let them run."