28 The Musk-ox 



I found on returning to my kill that it was a 

 cow, needless to say a sore disappointment ; and 

 so, although pretty well tuckered out, I again 

 started to the north in the hope that I might 

 get wind of the other two of the four after which 

 I had originally started, or find tracks of strag- 

 glers from the main herd. Several miles I went 

 on, but finding no tracks, and darkness coming 

 down, I turned to make my way back, knowing 

 that the Indians would follow up and, camp by 

 the slain musk-oxen for the night. But as I 

 journeyed I suddenly realized that, except for 

 going in a southerly direction, I really had no 

 definite idea of the exact direction in which I 

 was travelling, and with night setting in and a 

 chilling wind blowing I knew that to lose my- 

 self might easily mean death. So I turned about 

 on my tracks and followed them back first to 

 where I had turned south, and thence on my 

 back tracks to where the musk-ox lay. It was a 

 long and puzzling task, for the wind had always 

 partly, and for distances entirely, obliterated the 

 earlier marks of my snow-shoes. 



Nine o'clock came before I finally reached 

 the place where the dead quarry lay; and there 

 I found the Indians gnawing on raw and half- 



