146 IN THE LAND OF THE GREAT SPIRIT 



spread through all the forest lands of the Territory ; 

 and now, when any hunter stops for food, it is ten 

 chances to one that, before he has finished his 

 first hunch of bread, Whiskey Jack will be there, 

 with one or two more, to see him eat it and help 

 him through. So amazing is the audacity of this 

 bird that, when there is time to spare, it may 

 be drawn nearer and nearer by well-considered 

 devices, until it makes bold to snatch food from the 

 hand itself, as on one occasion it snatched it from 

 mine. But W. Jack's ways are not all prettiness. For, 

 like our English jay, he is a terrible alarmist in the 

 woods. 



Whether or not it was he that put the big bull 

 on the look-out it is impossible to say, but the creature 

 began to grow suspicious and took to walking in semi- 

 "^ circles, trying to get our wind. It was a curious per- 

 formance. Now and then we heard him, more often we 

 only saw the slot. We tried hard to head him at his 

 points. But no sooner did we begin to draw up to 

 him than he would turn again and come right round 

 on the other side. If he had once fairly winded us, 

 he would have gone. But he never did. Only now 

 and then he thought he caught some half scent or 

 heard some doubtful sound, and, besides, the wind 



