ABSTRACT
Idevoted the first weeks in Kiäkt to obtaining a knowledge of the people and conditions of the district. It was an interesting time. Every night I slept in a new camp, and in the evenings I sat by hospitable hearths and listened attentively to the tales of old hunters. These dealt with courageous fighting against the wild beasts of the forest, with proud resignation in bad times and with tough endurance on long journeys. The fire blazed, and the narrators’ faces, tanned by alpine sun and furrowed by the wind of the steppes, were alternatively lighted up by the flames and disappeared in the shadow.
