164 FOREST LIFE IN ACADIE. 



on seeing us approach. I would have spared the latter, 

 but the Indian brought it down at once by a good 

 shot at eighty yards. Mine proved to be a very 

 fine doe, with a dark glossy skin, and in excellent 

 condition. 



"Plenty fresh meat in camp now," says Noel, who 

 really looked as if he could have eaten the whole cariboo 

 then and there. He did roast a good junk of it as soon 

 as he could get a fire alight, and the fellow had brought 

 out some salt in a piece of paper in case of an emergency 

 like the present. Whilst Noel was making up the meat 

 with the assistance of the little axe and hunting-knife 

 which are invariably suspended from the hunter's belt, I 

 lighted my pipe and heaped on the dead logs, which lay 

 •everywhere under the surface of the snow, until we had 

 a roaring fire that would have roasted a cariboo whole 

 with great ease and dispatch. I never saw fatter meat 

 than that of the largest cariboo when the hide was re- 

 moved ; the whole saddle was snow-white with fat, 

 which covered the meat to the depth of an inch and a 

 half. Having stacked the quarters in a compact pile, and 

 deeply covered them with a coating of snow, we started 

 for home, leaving the ofial for the Canada jays and crows; 

 the former were exceedingly impudent, hopping about 

 within a few yards of us, and screaming most impatiently 

 for our departure. Noel of course carried a goodly load 

 of the meat, including many delicate morsels for our 

 camp frying-pan. 



Numerous droves of cariboo had crossed the barren 

 since the morning, and, as we were on our way, we saw 

 a small drove of four passing across at a distance of about 

 500 yards from us. They appeared scared, walking very 



