1 8 Wilderness Ways. 



away from the mothers to whom they clung instinc- 

 tively, and were left to get acquainted with each 

 other, which they did very shyly at first, like so many 

 strange children. It was all new and curious, this 

 meeting of their kind ; for till now they had lived in 

 dense solitudes, each one knowing no living creature 

 save its own mother. Some were timid, and backed 

 away as far as possible into the shadow, looking with 

 wild, wide eyes from one to another of the little 

 caribou, and bolting to their mothers' sides at every 

 unusual movement. Others were bold, and took to 

 butting at the first encounter. But careful, kindly 

 eyes watched over them. Now and then a mother 

 caribou would come from the shadows and push a 

 little one gently from his retreat under a bush out 

 into the company. Another would push her way 

 between two heads that lowered at each other threat- 

 eningly, and say with a warning shake of her head 

 that butting was no good way to get along together. 

 I had once thought, watching a herd on the barrens 

 through my glasses, that they are the gentlest of ani- 

 mals with each other. Here in the little school in 

 the heart of the swamp I found the explanation of 

 things. 



For over an hour I lay there and watched, my curi- 

 osity growing more eager every moment; for most 



