134 IN THE LAND OF THE GREAT SPIRIT 



^ , He was so beautiful a specimen that I could not 



resist the temptation to secure him. But the horses, 

 a very spirited pair of trotters, could not be 

 trusted. So I told a half-breed who was with me 

 to shoot. The man took a deliberate pot-shot 

 at the bird, and either missed clean, or else some- 

 thing was wrong with the charge ; for the snowy, 

 — with a cry of mockery, skimmed grandly off across 

 -^^v^'k^r^ the flats. The hawk owl,* on the other hand, is 



^ diurnal in every sense. It will even sometimes cut 

 down like a peregrine at a wounded spruce partridge. 

 There need never be a want of food in camp, 

 , — - for the grey haref is always with you more 

 ^ ^^ctjx^.. . Qj. iggg c^Qj^g districts literally '' crawl " with these 



' creatures. By the beginning of November they 

 ' are turning white, and lose their colour first up their 

 ! sides. Any Indian boy can bring in as many of 

 these as you want. For the grey hare is exceedingly 

 ^ stupid. If it hears any sharp sound, a sudden tap or 



a sharp whistle, it will stop dead and allow its pursuer 

 to come up close enough even to knock it over with a 

 straight-thrown stick. 



It would take far too long a time even to quote 



/od- * Syrnia fwierea. f L. Americanus. 



