THE MUSK-OX. 305 



Alpine lake in the hill-land, he prepares for his hunt. If 

 there are three or four men and boys in the party, they 

 will ' beat up ' the country, so to speak, or give it a thorough 

 search; that is, they will go out in as many different direc- 

 tions as they can organize parties, boys going in pairs, while 

 the older hunters go each by himself. No sledges are taken 

 when on these excursions, and if Reindeer are seen, they are 

 killed and their carcasses cached, as if they had come for 

 such animals instead of the Musk-oxen. The day's trip is 

 as far as they can go and get back home by night, or often 

 ten or twelve miles away in a straight line. 



" If a Musk-ox trail is found by a hunter, its age deter- 

 mines his further action. If fresh, he will return and 

 report it, and the next day will be given to the chase of the 

 animals. Even if he sees the animals, he will do nothing to 

 disturb them that day. If no signs have been seen by any- 

 one, and their supplies warrant it, they will make another 

 day's march farther into the Musk-ox country, build another 

 village of snow, and beat up the country again. Sometimes 

 this is continued by making a huge detour, or half-circle, 

 through the district supposed to contain the game. 



" If the signs are old, they will follow the trail with the 

 sledges until it becomes fresh enough to warrant their stop- 

 ping and building their snow-huts, and following next day 

 as a hunting-party. 



"Once a fresh trail is discovered, however, everything 

 is animation and excitement in preparing for the chase, 

 which usually follows the day after the finding. The night 

 before, the party retires early, to get some sleep before a 

 correspondingly early start next morning; but the excite- 

 ment generally proves too much, and it is really much later 

 than usual before slumber settles over all. On such occa- 

 sions the Eskimos have a way of seeking a soothing- 

 draught in a big pipe of tobacco, if they happen to have it 

 with them, for it is by no means so abundant among them 

 as it is with us, or even with the savages of our latitude, as 

 their only supply is from trade with the whalers at exorbi- 

 tant rates of exchange. 

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