The Laplanders are an inoffensive class of people, we are told, and crimes among them are unknown; but they have a failing which I’m sorry to tell you of; it is that of strong drink. I have watched them pass into saloons; drunkenness is therefore no uncommon thing among them. What a dreadful habit to form; and men all over the world have given themselves over to the demon of strong drink, regardless of the consequences. I wish it were in my power to write something which would cause every boy who reads to keep far away from saloons. Look upon me as a friend, my boy readers, and let me ask you not to touch the vile stuff which is sold behind the screen. Remember that sadness and distress come to yourselves and families with the use of it. When tempted to drink do not, I beg of you, think it is manly to take a sip, and cowardly to refuse; but rather flee from the tempter and feel thankful you have escaped the fangs of the great serpent which seemed ready to fasten itself upon you. Ah, I hope you may never, never forget that death and destruction come with the use of strong drink! May the Lord stand by and save you from the evil! Those who visited the camp at Tromsö were especially anxious to see their herd of reindeer; but the Lapps had already driven them to the mountains for pasture; so the people were too late. The reindeer eat everything green in their march to the mountains, and in the winter there is, far under the snow, a moss which they feed upon and are wonderfully quick in getting. They are a very useful animal to the Laplander, more so than horses are to us. The reindeer is harnessed to a sledge in winter and driven anywhere the Lapp desires to go. Three hundred pounds can be drawn by them, yet the amount is usually limited to a little over two hundred pounds. These animals, as I said before, are quite useful, for the meat is used for food and the hide for clothing and shoes. They are milked, and butter and cheese are made from the milk. The milkmaid sometimes has a big time to get the milking done, for the reindeer doesn’t want to stand still for her. You know some cows are not willing to be milked; they kick and move about too freely for the milkmaid’s comfort. Well, the reindeer doesn’t like milking time any better than the cow; and where there is a large herd to be milked it is necessary for a Lapp to get among them and throw a halter around the antlers, so that the animal may be held fast until milking is finished. You can imagine that man and maid have lively times while the catching is going on. Did you ever see the picture of a reindeer? Well, they have immense antlers, which come out from the head like great branches; and when the animal is full grown the antlers are very large, spreading far out and requiring a great deal of room. Where there is a herd of two or three hundred of them they have a big time among themselves hooking each other.