Megaleep the Wanderer. 23 



together of exhaustion. Caribou are more peaceable ; 

 they rarely fight that way ; and, besides, the horns 

 here were not locked together, but lying well apart. 

 As I searched about, looking for the explanation of 

 things, thinking of wolves, yet wondering why the 

 bones were not gnawed, I found another skeleton, 

 much older, then four or five more ; some quite fresh, 

 others crumbling into mould. Bits of old bone and 

 some splendid antlers were scattered here and there 

 through the underbrush ; and when I scraped away 

 the dead leaves and moss, there were older bones and 

 fragments mouldering beneath. 



I scarcely understood the meaning of it at the 

 time ; but since then I have met men, Indians and 

 hunters, who have spent much time in the wilderness, 

 who speak of " bone yards " which they have dis- 

 covered, places where they can go at any time and 

 be sure of finding a good set of caribou antlers. 

 And they say that the caribou go there to die. 



All animals, when feeble with age, or sickly, or 

 wounded, have the habit of going away deep into 

 the loneliest coverts, and there lying down where 

 the leaves shall presently cover them. So that one 

 rarely finds a dead bird or animal in the woods 

 where thousands die yearly. Even your dog, that 

 was born and lived by your house, often disappears 



