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208
Animal Heroes
·
Ernest Thompson Seton
195
II
Each
springtime
when
the
Reindeer
passed
over
Sveggum's
mill-run,
as
they
moved
from
the
lowland
woods
to
the
bleaker
shore
of
Utrovand,
the
Fossekal
was
there
to
sing
about
the
White
Storbuk,
which
each
year
became
more
truly
the
leader.
That
first
spring
he
stood
little
higher
than
a
Hare.
When
he
came
to
drink
in
the
autumn,
his
back
was
above
the
rock
where
Sveggum's
stream
enters
Utrovand.
Next
year
he
barely
passed
under
the
stunted
birch,
and
the
third
year
the
Fossekal
on
the
painted
rock
was
looking
up,
not
down,
at
him
as
he
passed.
This
was
the
autumn
when
Rol
and
Sveggum
sought
the
Hoifjeld
to
round
up
their
half-wild
herd
and
select
some
of
the
strongest
for
the
sled.
There
was
but
one
opinion
about
the
Storbuk.
Higher
than
the
others,
heavier,
white
as
snow,
with
a
mane
that
swept
the
shallow
drifts,
breasted
like
a
Horse
and
with
horns
like
a
storm-grown
oak,
he
was
king
of
the
herd,
and
might
easily
be
king
of
the
road.
There
are
two
kinds
of
deer-breakers,
as
there
are
two
kinds
of
horse-breakers:
one
that
tames
and
teaches
the
animal,
and
gets
a
spirited,
friendly
helper;
one
that
aims
to
break
its
spirit,
and
gets
only
a
sullen
slave,
ever
ready
to
rebel
and
wreak
its
hate.
Many
a
Lapp
and
many
a
Norsk
has
paid
with
his
life
for
brutality
to
his
Reindeer,
and
Rol's
days
were
shortened
by
his
own
pulk-Ren.
But
Sveggum
was
of
gentler
sort.
To
him
fell
the
training
of
the
White
Storbuk.
It
was
slow,
for
the
Buck
resented
all
liberties
from
man,
as
he
did
from
his
brothers;
but
kindness,
not
fear,
was
the
power
that
tamed
him,
and
when
he
had
learned
to
obey
and
glory
in
the
sled
race,
it
was
a
noble
sight
to
see
the
great
white
mild-eyed
beast
striding
down
the
long
snow-stretch
of
Utrovand,
the
steam
jetting
from
his
nostrils,
the
snow
swirling
up
before
like
the
curling
waves
on
a
steamer's
bow,
sled,
driver,
and
Deer
all
dim
in
flying
white.
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