HUNTING IN THE SELKIRKS. 169 



the rock masses of this alpine valley we, as 

 usual, saw many conies and hoary wood- 

 chucks. 



The caribou trails had ceased, and it was 

 evident that the beasts were not ahead of us 

 in the barren, treeless recesses between the 

 mountains of rock and snow ; and we turned 

 back down the valley, crossing over to the 

 opposite or south side of the stream. We 

 had already eaten our scanty lunch, for it was 

 afternoon. For several miles of hard walk- 

 ing, through thicket, marsh, and rock-slide, 

 we 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 shoul- 

 der 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 comparative 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 hemlock trunk until within fifty yards 



