Hunting in the Selkirks 177 



saw no traces of the game. Then we reached the 

 forest, which soon widened out, and crept up the 

 mountain sides ; and we came to where another 

 stream entered the one we were following. A high, 

 steep shoulder between the two valleys was covered 

 with an open growth of great hemlock timber, and 

 in this we again found the trails and beds plentiful. 

 There was no breeze, and after beating through the 

 forest nearly to its upper edge, we began to go down 

 the ridge, or point of the shoulder. The compara- 

 tive freedom from brushwood made it easy to walk 

 without noise, and we descended the steep incline 

 with the utmost care, scanning every object, and 

 using every caution not to slip on the hemlock 

 needles, nor to strike a stone or break a stick with 

 our feet. The sign was very fresh, and when still 

 half a mile or so from the bottom we at last came 

 on three bull caribou. 



Instantly the hunter crouched down, while I ran 

 noiselessly forward behind the shelter of a big hem- 

 lock trunk until within fifty yards of the grazing 

 and unconscious quarry. They were feeding with 

 their heads up-hill, but so greedily that they had 

 not seen us; and they were rather difficult to see 

 themselves, for their bodies harmonized well in color 

 with the brown tree trunks and lichen-covered bowl- 

 ders. The largest, a big bull with a good but by 

 no means extraordinary head, was nearest. As he 

 stood fronting me with his head down I fired into 



