The Musk-ox 73 



the musk-ox tricky or ferocious, appears to 

 me to be the only mysterious element in the 

 discussion ; a less ferocious looking animal for 

 its size would, it seems to me, be impossible 

 to find. Several Arctic explorers who have 

 written on the musk-ox also refer to it as "for- 

 midable" appearing and "ferocious," but those 

 are the last adjectives that I should apply to the 

 creature. The Indians and some of the Arctic 

 authors also say that it is dangerous to approach, 

 especially when wounded. My experience does 

 not indorse that statement. We encountered 

 about one hundred and twenty-five musk-oxen, 

 killing forty-seven, and I did not see one that 

 even suggested the charging proclivities for which 

 it is given credit. They stand with lowered heads, 

 making a hook at the dogs that are nearest, and 

 on occasion making a movement forward, prac- 

 tically a bluff at charging, but I never saw one 

 really charge a dog, much less a man. I do not 

 believe they can be induced to break the circle 

 they invariably form, as they would, of course, do 

 in charging. On one occasion I wounded a musk- 

 ox badly enough to enable me to run him over 

 and around a series of short ridges finally to a 

 standstill. He was entirely alone, and I was 



