212 TWO DIANAS IN ALASKA 



walking behind, carrying my rifle. Never a sign of 

 a caribou had I sighted all day. Save for nothing 

 but a red fox, and the marmots all I suppose un- 

 palatable my beat was very lonely. 



I wandered up the bed of a river, dried up by reason 

 of a natural dam of stones fallen from the mountain, 

 which had deflected the flow of water, climbed up- 

 wards towards a rounded bluff, and curving round 

 the moss and snow-covered slopes I espied on the 

 shoulder of a high escarpment, high above me, away 

 to my left, something which looked like a very excel- 

 lent imitation of a caribou lying down. My glasses 

 told me more. It was a caribou, but the haunches 

 of the animal were towards me, and the head was 

 held so low I could not tell whether it carried decent 

 horns or not. I quite forgot in my excitement and 

 interest that I was not out head-hunting, but larder- 

 filling. 



I signed to my man to remain where he was, for 

 the position was too open to allow of his following 

 me. He handed me my rifle with a world of entreaty 

 in his eyes. " I am hungry," they said eloquently, 

 " get me meat." I prepared for a most careful stalk, 

 thinking out the best course to take, and making a 

 big circuit, commenced to climb the hill on the other 

 side to that upon which my quarry lay. I intended 

 climbing until I was level with the animal, and then 

 to creep round the edge of the bluff, when, if Provi- 

 dence had any consideration for me at all, matters 

 would be so arranged that I merely had to shoot to 

 win. 



