248 ON SNOW-SHOES TO THE BARREN GROUNDS 



through his forehead and blood gushed out of his mouth 

 and nostrils, I had evidently not reached the brain, as he 

 still stood on his feet. I confess it seemed anything but 

 sport to stand there firing at a wounded animal that could 

 not escape, and I had no heart for further experiments. I 

 regret now I did not try the effect of a bullet sent directly 

 into the crevice, for my subsequent dissection of a musk-ox 

 head rather convinced me the brain could be reached if 

 a bullet was sent home exactly on this spot. 



Having satisfied myself that the boss was not to be pene- 

 trated, I began another circle with the idea of putting the 

 ox out of misery by a final ball through his heart. He 

 kept turning, always facing me, but other than an occa- 

 sional stamp of his fore-foot like a sheep gave no indica- 

 tion whatever of rage or intended attack. In the midst 

 of this performance there arose much shouting on the hill 

 to my left, where I discovered the two Indians who had 

 started with Seco and me waving their arms in apparently 

 great perturbation of mind. Why, of course I did not 

 know, but afterwards learned the cause of their excitement 

 to be what they considered my imminent danger, and that 

 they were calling on me to come away. 



I should probably have been obliged to circle about 

 that musk-ox until he dropped from sheer loss of blood, 

 but the dog, unable to make any impression on the fallen 

 musk-ox, left that and came over to the live one, and as he 

 ran up barking the bull turned his attention to him, which 

 gave me the desired opportunity, and down he went, 

 making a couple of ineffectual attempts to get on his feet 

 again before he expired. 



I noted in my hunting, by-the-way, that once a musk-ox 

 is down it seems impossible for him to get on his feet 

 again. I saw a number make the attempt, but none suc- 

 ceed. 



