32 THE GREAT NORTH-WEST 



fox caught by both fore paws, which howled or whined 

 pitifully as we approached. A single blow on the head 

 quieted him for ever. 



We had visited all the traps and were back at the 

 camping-place before noon, and the rest of the day was 

 spent in looking for something to eat. Sam had dis- 

 covered the tracks of cariboo deer in the snow, and 

 proposed to follow them up. The tracks, however, were 

 not fresh ; and considering how few hours of daylight 

 remained, it was thought better to defer attempting to 

 stalk them until the following morning. It was arranged 

 that Tom and myself should undertake this work while 

 the others attended the traps, and we started before 

 break of day. The tracks were easy enough to follow, 

 but it was a long time before we found any that had 

 been recently made, and then we took a circuit of seven 

 or eight miles to avoid the chance of the deer scenting 

 us; for these cautious animals are the most easily 

 alarmed of any American deer, and all are jealous of 

 the neighbourhood of man. 



I watched anxiously for the appearance of the deer, 

 but the only signs of them that I could perceive were 

 the marks of their remarkably broad hoofs in the snow. 

 In reply to a remark of mine that I feared we should 

 not overtake our game, Tom waved his hand towards the 

 forest below us and said : " Cariboo dare. All right. Hab 

 shot by-um-by." And so we continued on our way so 

 silently that these were almost the only words spoken 

 during the whole day. I was dressed much in the 

 Indian fashion, and wore moccasins, so that we moved 

 like ghosts, absolutely without sound. 



In the afternoon Tom intimated that it would not be 

 possible to overtake the deer that day, and proposed that 

 we should camp out, as going back to our companions 

 would amount to giving up the chase. Though we were 

 almost without food, I consented; for, apart from the 

 fact that I did not like to appear chicken-hearted before 



