Upweekis the Shadow. 125 



I cut a good club with my big jack-knife, and, watch- 

 ing my chance, threw off the caribou head and jumped 

 for him as he crouched in the snow. He leaped aside 

 untouched, but crouched again instantly, showing all 

 his teeth, snarling horribly. Three times I swung at 

 him warily. Each time he jumped aside and watched 

 for his opening ; but I kept the club in play before his 

 eyes, and it was not yet dark enough. Then I yelled 

 in his face, to teach him fear, and went on again. 



Near camp I shouted for Simmo to bring my rifle ; 

 but he was slow in understanding, and his answering 

 shout alarmed the savage creature near me. His 

 movements became instantly more wary, more hidden. 

 He left the open trail ; and once, when I saw him well 

 behind me, his head was raised high, listening. I threw 

 down the caribou head to keep him busy, and ran for 

 camp. In a few minutes I was stealing back again 

 with my rifle; but Upweekis had felt the change in 

 the situation and was again among the shadows, where 

 he belongs. I lost his trail in the darkening woods. 



There was another lynx which showed me, one day, 

 a different side to Upweekis' nature. It was in sum- 

 mer, when every creature in the wilderness seems an 

 altogether different creature from the one you knew last 

 winter, with new habits, new duties, new pleasures, and 

 even a new coat to hide him better from his enemies. 



