Woodland Caribou 
them out of their trot into a gallop and keep them at it they 
never grow exhausted. 
‘*Countless generations on the northern’ wastes, where 
there is no need of jumping, have bred this habit, and modified 
their muscles accordingly. 
‘But now a race of caribou has moved further into the woods, 
where great trees lie fallen across the way, and where if there 
is anybody behind them, or they are in a hurry, jumping is a 
necessity. Still they do not like it and avoid jumping as much 
as possible. The little ones, left to themselves, would always 
crawl under a fallen tree, or trot round it. And this is another 
thing to overcome, and another lesson to be taught in the caribou 
‘‘One afternoon in late summer | was drifting down the Toledo 
River, casting for trout, when a movement in the bushes caught 
my attention. A great swampy tract of ground, covered with 
grass and low bush, spread out on either side of the stream. 
‘From the canoe I made out two or three waving lines of 
bushes where some animals were making their way through the 
swamp toward a strip of big timber which formed a kind of island 
in the middle. Pushing my canoe into the grass | made for a point 
just astern of the nearest quivering line of bushes. A glance at a 
strip of soft ground showed me the trail of a mother caribou with her 
calf. 1 followed carefully, the wind being ahead in my favour. 
‘‘ They were not hurrying and I took good pains not to alarm 
them. 
‘““When I reached the timbers and crept like a snake through 
the underbush, there were the caribou, five or six mother animals, 
and nearly twice as many little ones, well grown, which had 
evidently just come in from all directions. They were gathered 
in a natural opening, fairly clear of bushes, with a fallen tree 
or two, which served a good purpose later. The sunlight fell 
across it in great golden bars, making light and shadow to play 
in; all around was the great marsh, giving protection from enemies; 
dense underbush screened them from prying eyes—and this was 
their school-room. 
“The little ones were pushed out into the middle, away from 
the mothers to whom they clung instinctively, and were left to 
get acquainted with each other, which they did very shyly at 
first, like so many strange children. 
49 
