154 AN OLD-TIME CARIBOU HUNT 



at his stand and went forward to meet and brain 

 the wounded animal with his tomahawk. Unfor- 

 tunately for Michel, the animal was too quick for 

 him. Taking a jump it rushed past him like a 

 steam engine and out through the gap he had 

 left open. In a few seconds all the others had 

 followed suit, and were dashing down the lake like 

 a cloud. Seventy-six lay dead inside the pound, 

 and five had been killed in the drive down by the 

 leaders. We were about sixteen guns in all, and 

 some three hundred shots were fired. My share 

 was thirty-eight. The shooting was within a 

 radius of half a mile, and not a scratch was re- 

 ceived by anyone, which shows how careful all 

 the shooters were. The whole hunt, including 

 the drive, had lasted about two hours. Some of 

 the young bloods were despatched to the camps, 

 and returned with the squaws, and the cut- 

 ting and skinning began. Three only were 

 cut up for the evening meal and breakfast 

 next morning, but all were gutted and placed 

 in double rows, and then covered with snow 

 to prevent freezing, as the real work of cut- 

 ting up and dividing would only take place next 

 day, for instead of hauling all this meat to camp, 

 the latter was shifted to the meat. The head, 

 heart, liver and kidneys, are generally all eaten 

 fresh, but the tongues and the meat are smoked 

 and dried, the flesh being cut in long, thin strips. 

 The intestines are cleaned and filled with all the 



