CHAP. iv. THE LYNX. 59 



Wendigoes are giant cannibals, twenty and thirty feet 

 high. They think that they live on human flesh, and 

 that many Indians who have gone hunting, and have never 

 afterwards been heard of, have been devoured by Wen- 

 digoes. They are dreadfully superstitious in the woods, 

 but brave enough when they get on the coast.' 



The lynx is common in this country, and at times quite 

 a formidable animal. Mr. Peter Mackenzie, of Mingan, 

 had a lucky escape from one of them, on an island oppo- 

 site the Post. It was in the spring of the year, shortly 

 after the ice had parted and made them islands again, 

 that Mr. Mackenzie went across the bay in his canoe, 

 more for exercise than for any special object. He took 

 no gun with him nothing but a Montagnais bow and 

 arrow, a knife, and snow-shoes. Landing on the island 

 opposite Mingan, he saw the fresh tracks of a lynx. He 

 adjusted his snow-shoes, soon found the animal, and 

 followed it closely several times round the island without 

 coming within shot. At sunset he returned to the Post, 

 but at dawn on the following morning he resumed the 

 chase on snow-shoes. Bound and round the island he 

 pursued the cat, always at a steady pace ; and towards 

 evening he saw that if was getting very fatigued, for he 

 got two opportunities of striking it with the heavy Mon- 

 tagnais arrow which is used for killing the smaller game. 

 At last he came within twenty yards ; the cat turned 

 round, rose on his hind legs, snarled, and began to paw 

 the air. Mr. Mackenzie discharged another arrow, but 

 at the same moment his snow-shoes tripped him up, and 

 he feh 1 headlong with his face in the snow. The cat 

 instantly sprang upon him, tearing with one stroke the 



