52 NEWFOUNDLAND CARIBOU 



crackled loudly as one walked over it, and made stalking 

 extremely difficult. About half-past eight, I entered 

 a small barren, and while examining the surrounding 

 growth of scrubby firs, saw with delight a Caribou doe 

 coming through the trees along one of the northern leads. 

 Soon she was followed by another and still another until 

 no less than forty-two were in sight. Among them were 

 two quite good stags and a number of smaller ones. There 

 was also one unusually large and very white fawnless doe. 

 In fact she was the first to come into the open barren and 

 was evidently the leader of the herd. At the time I was 

 not particularly interested in her, except for her unusual 

 whiteness, as it was rather early in the season for this full 

 winter covering, but soon my interest developed, as I 

 discovered that she was uncommonly alert and keen-eyed, 

 for even though I squatted behind a dwarf spruce tree, she 

 detected my presence while still about three hundred yards 

 away, and having done so, she positively refused to let me 

 out of her sight. Try as I might, she would keep her eyes 

 upon me, blowing occasionally to let her companions know 

 that danger lurked ahead. Every time any of the herd 

 ventured to come in my direction she gave the sound of 

 alarm and drew them back. For nearly an hour this 

 continued. The stags in the meantime were watching one 

 another and the does, and each time a doe strayed she 

 was promptly brought back, often at the point of the horn 

 if she did not move quickly enough to satisfy her exacting 

 master. There were splendid opportunities for pictures 

 if only I could get closer, but apparently that was im- 

 possible. The big white doe thoroughly objected to my 

 presence, and under no consideration was she going to 

 allow me to approach. At last she stopped staring at me, 

 and I thought I might make a dash for a nearer clump 



