THE MUSK-OX AT HOME 233 



apt, for instance, to devote all their attention to one or 

 two of the stragglers, and surround them when they come 

 to bay, while the rest of the musk-oxen go on unmolested. 

 Should the dogs come from different points of attack and 

 stop a herd in two or three small bands, unless the Indians 

 come up very shortly the chances are that they will leave 

 their respective herds and gather around the one held by 

 the greatest number of dogs. 



A pack of well -trained dogs could, and of course fre- 

 quently these Indian dogs do, easily hold the herds of 

 musk-oxen intact, and under such circumstances the kill- 

 ing becomes as the slaughter of domestic cattle in a pen. 

 Were dogs so trustful, the only excitement of musk-ox 

 hunting would be the running to where they were viewed. 



Occasionally a painfully wounded ox may break the 

 circle and stampede the herd, and a herd when stampeded 

 is hard to hold again, because the dogs are difficult to 

 manage in concerted attack ; but such an occurrence is 

 very rare. 



The musk-ox usually stops when wounded, and shows 

 little inclination to go on ; and, as a rule, they will stand 

 until the last one has been killed, narrowing their circle as 

 their numbers diminish. 



Despite the general belief of the Indians, I saw no in- 

 stance where a musk-ox showed inclination to charge, and 

 in one of the herds we stopped I could very easily have 

 captured a yearling calf; in fact, I took a photograph of 

 one while it was backed up against its dead mother, and 

 subsequently had hold of it while it stood at bay before 

 the dogs. 



