"OMINGMONG!" THE MUSK-OX! 295 



Camp was made close by, and Eiseeyou, always 

 with an eye for game, strolled off to the top of a 

 small hill to look the country over with my glasses. 

 In a few minutes he returned, much excited, to re- 

 port two more bunches of musk-oxen. In one bunch 

 he counted four, in the other there were many more, 

 but owing to the fact that several of them were lying 

 down, he could not tell the number. We talked the 

 situation over, and decided to go for them at once. 

 The two herds were not a great distance apart, and 

 we decided that, with two Eskimos to assist me, I 

 should attack the larger herd, while the other four 

 Eskimos should follow the smaller one. 



In an incredibly short time dogs were harnessed 

 to the komatiks, and Eiseeyou, one other Eskimo 

 and myself, with dogs at a run, were dashing toward 

 the larger herd of musk-oxen, while the four remain- 

 ing Eskimos and their dogs gave chase to the smaller 

 herd. A few minutes earlier, tired and ravenously 

 hungry after our strenuous day's work, luscious 

 steaks and sleeping-bags tempted us. Now all 

 weariness and hunger were forgotten. 



' As we neared the herd I could see several lying 

 down. They had not yet discovered their danger, 

 but almost immediately the other party began firing 

 and in an instant the animals were on their feet and 

 charging up the steep mountain-side. It is a trick of 

 the musk-ox when pursued always to seek the highest 

 available land. Eiseeyou cut all his dogs loose at 

 once and we followed as rapidly as we could. 



In all my experience I had never encountered a 



