WILD ANIMALS I HAVE "ET" 207 



when he is hungry, regardless of the time of 

 day or night, and no matter how lately he has 

 eaten. When food is plentiful he eats all the 

 time, and when his larder is exhausted he fasts 

 until hunger compels him to hunt. So long as 

 you will feed him, so long will he watch for the 

 smoke of your camp-fire and drop in at meal- 

 time. If you eat without inviting him to join 

 you he will take the hint in a short time, and 

 within half a day you will see him returning 

 from a hunt with his horse or his squaw loaded 

 idown with venison or sheep meat. 



I rode into a Cree camp one afternoon and, in 

 accordance with the custom of the country, was 

 asked to dismount and "eat." As I stepped 

 into the tepee and took a seat on a sheepskin 

 spread on the ground, an old squaw was bending 

 over a large pot hanging over the fire. Finally, 

 she placed a plate, knife, and fork before me 

 and began fishing about in the pot with a fork. 

 Piece after piece of meat she brought to the sur- 

 face and dropped again until she finally found 

 the right one, a hideous-looking beaver's head. 

 This she placed upon my plate and, pouring out 

 a cup of tea, bade me eat. Waiting for the 

 others to be served, and wondering what they 



