After Caribou 



99 



attracted by some new condition or object of 

 nature, as expectingly we hunted the timber 

 land. Like to the change when the cloud 

 passes from before the sun, causing a sudden 

 burst of sunshine, was our emerging from the 

 dense forest into a meadow created by the 

 toiling little beaver during the years before; 

 now all that remained of what was once an in- 

 dustrious settlement were the ruins of the old 

 dam, stumps of trees, and meadow grass. On 

 the moss-covered logs, soft as the down of the 

 eider, we sat for more than an hour watching 

 and waiting for caribou or moose. Being 

 doomed to disappointment we were obliged at 

 length to turn towards camp through a coun- 

 try full of signs of game. While returning in 

 the canoe with a strong head wind we ran 

 right into three or four caribou feeding along 

 the bank of the stream. The guide called my 

 attention to one of the caribou not more than 

 thirty feet away. When standing upright in 

 the boat I could just see the top of his back. 

 Both male and female have horns, conse- 

 quently it is quite difficult to distinguish the 

 difference in the sex. Taking aim I pulled 



