A BRUSH WITH A CARIBOU 145 



brushwood camp on the fringe of the forest, we moved out into the 

 open and ascended a grim-looking elevation of bare rock, and swept 

 the surrounding country with field-glasses. We could see the lesser 

 hills undulating below us like mountainous billows. Some were 

 nothing more than bare masses of gneiss rock. The eye could 

 readily trace the sinuous silvery course of the North-west Miramichi 

 River, here in its infancy, but presently to develop into a famous 

 salmon stream and unite its waters with the Big South-west Branch. 

 We were attracted by the appearance of a park-like valley to 

 the south, dotted with little groves of young spruce and pine. 

 Hardly had we entered this valley, proceeding in Indian file, 

 than I heard the snort or bark of an unseen bull caribou. Giving 



CARIBOU CALF ABOUT SIX MONTHS OLD (A PET). 



a low whistle to the men we all dropped in our tracks. Above the 

 low scrub the only part of us visible to the quarry was the pack 

 which each man carried on his back. Mine was done up in an enor- 

 mous canvas bag containing a blanket, changes of underclothing, 

 small tins of canned meats, and other camp necessaries. This was 

 securely fastened to my shoulders. Suddenly the belt of spruce in 

 front of me swayed and opened, and a lordly stag caribou with a pair 

 of magnificent spreading antlers stepped out in that fine manner 

 which always denotes excitement or alarm. I immediately fired at 

 the coveted head, but it was at the same instant lowered for another 

 charge and my bullet went high and sliced up the animal's left ear. 

 Advancing to meet him two accidents happened at once the 



