HUNTING OTTER AND MUSQUASH. 115 



ing most of the severe winter weather. The 

 hunter, therefore, as soon as the ice will bear 

 his weight, slides up to the rat houses, armed 

 w r ith a sharp, barbed, steel spear, about a foot 

 long, let into the end of a small taniarac han- 

 dle. This handle is generally about 8 feet long. 

 Arriving close to the lodge, he poises the spear 

 in mid-air for a moment and drives it down 

 through the lodge with all his might. If he 

 pierced a rat, he feels it wriggling on the spear, 

 and keeps it fast there until he has torn away 

 the mud and grass. He then seizes it by the tail 

 and draws it with a jerk from the spear and 

 knocks it on the ice, which finishes Mr. Rat. At 

 times, when there are a number of musquash in 

 the same lodge at the same time, the spear often 

 passes through two, or even three, at one stroke. 

 This is great sport where the lodges are numer- 

 ous. 



Musquash killed under the ice are worth two 

 or three cents each more than in the fall, and 

 the hunter makes frequently two to four dollars 

 a day while it lasts. 



The flesh of musquash killed under the ice 

 is highly esteemed by the Indians. It has then 

 its winter fat on, and is free from the objection- 

 able odor which prevails in the spring. 



The skins of the large ones, when dressed, 

 make strong and durable lining for cloaks, coats, 



