23 2 ON SNOW-SHOES TO THE BARREN GROUNDS 



probably about from one-half to three-fourths of an inch 

 in length. A few of these skins (through the Hudson's Bay 

 Company) find their way to the civilized marts. Most of 

 them, however, are used for trimming caribou-skin capotes 

 and for making moccasins which are invaluable (fur side 

 in and next the skiirt in Barren Ground travel. 



Considering its build, the musk-ox is a very fast runner, 

 and goes over the rocky ridges at a pace and ease that are 

 remarkable. They run bunched, rarely single file, and for 

 the first several miles they are scared they will go at a 

 pace that rivals that of the dogs. After a few miles of 

 running, however, they settle down to a steady gallop, 

 which, although heart-breaking to the following snow-shoe 

 runner, gives the dogs an even chance at gaining on them. 

 So soon as the dogs are at their heels the musk-oxen come 

 to bay, and, forming a circle around the calves, with the 

 rumps in, they present their formidable heads to the 

 front. If there are only two or three of them they make 

 the same formation. I have seen two when stopped stand 

 rump to rump, and a solitary one back up against a rock. 

 They always face the enemy. Here they will stand with 

 heads lowered, making an occasional lunge forward, as 

 though to hook the dog, but never breaking the circle. 

 So long as the dogs bark at their heads they will stand 

 until the very last one is shot down, but the instant the 

 dogs relax their vigilance, especially if they are few in 

 number, the musk-oxen will start on. 



Strange as it may seem, the generality of Indian dogs 

 are not very valuable aids in musk-ox hunting. Theirs is 

 a craven nature, and but for the urgency imparted by the 

 pangs of hunger they would be of little use in bringing 

 the musk cattle to bay. 



In attack, dogs evince a disposition decidedly gregarious. 

 Overtaking a herd of flying musk cattle, they are pretty 



