118 THE BARREN-GROUND CARIBOU 



Before long it was decided to move on. It 

 was then close upon dawn, which would be about 

 7 a.m., and clear daylight about 8 a.m. The raft 

 was carried to the water's edge and floated on the 

 stream, a rope attached to it, and then Gew- 

 gewsh poled his way skilfully over to the oppo- 

 site shore. Once across he tied another rope 

 to the raft ; and then, by see-saw method, it was 

 pulled from shore to shore, each time carrying 

 from one side a single passenger, until all were 

 across. 



Once all were on the far bank conversation 

 ceased and the party moved quietly inland 

 expectant of soon meeting Caribou. Coming, 

 after a time, to a small inland lake, the first 

 indications of Caribou were found — fresh hoof- 

 marks on the smooth snow surface. Thereupon 

 the party changed its composition, Gewgewsh 

 and another Indian going off in a north-east 

 direction to follow up the fresh tracks, while 

 the main party continued south-east. The two 

 hunters had barely left us when we heard them 

 commence to shoot. Six shots they fired ; one 

 of which hit the object, as was easy to infer by 

 the odd sound of the dull plunk of the bullet as 

 it struck home. §oon the main party sighted 

 Caribou — three bucks on an open pine-wood 

 hillside. Upon those a regular fusilade of in- 

 effective shots was fired by the excited Indians ; 

 and then a general rush to head them off, as they 

 crossed running west, and more shots during 

 which one Caribou was brought down. The 

 animal was cut and disembowelled where it had 

 fallen, and left unconcernedly to be gathered 



