A DYING PEOPLE. 



209 



two more into the middle of its forehead ; but it seemed as if 

 it was impossible to get the life out of it. I never saw any- 

 thing so horrible. Of course, it is not easy exactly to penetrate 

 the brain in an animal of the kind when it is lying upside down, 

 and there is so much hair in the way. So I felt about, and 

 thought I could make out the bones of the neck, put the barrel 

 of the gun to the spot and fired it off; but the animal remained 

 just as much alive. 



It was not until it was as riddled as a sieve that we felt sure 



CLIFFS IN HEUKEKA SOUND. 



that it was dead, and could begin to skin it. The black pudding, 

 however, we were done out of ; there was hardly a drop of blood 

 left in the animal. But though it had parted with its blood, it 

 had not been able to get rid of its splendid marrow-bones ; they 

 were the biggest and best we had seen on any of our journeys. 

 We took with us what was left of the meat after the dogs had 

 eaten as much as they could. The skin we divided between us ; 

 it would be comfortable to lie on later in the spring when the 

 snow began to melt. 



Later in the afternoon it cleared up, and in the evening, when 

 we camped, it was so fine that better weather could not be desired. 

 VOL. n. p 



