NORTHERN GAME TRAILS 343 



ably fresh caribou tracks. They could not have 

 been much more than a few minutes old, as other- 

 wise the snow would have soon smoothed them 

 out. Taking up the trail we had not gone more 

 than a few hundred yards when Mac signaled we 

 were very near them and that he had better pro- 

 ceed on foot. After a short stalk there suddenly 

 loomed above the willows what looked to me like 

 a splendid pair of antlers. Then I made out sev- 

 eral smaller sets of horns which now plainly indi- 

 cated that a large band of caribou were lying 

 down and just the tops of their heads were visible. 

 They must have suspected the presence of some 

 threatening danger. They could not have scented 

 us as the wind was strong from them to us. 



Suddenly they jumped to their feet, and as 

 they did so I trained the rifle on the larger bull. 

 And then a strange thing happened. I felt a 

 pressure on my arm which threw out my aim. 

 The band were off now in long, graceful bounds. 

 Again I drew up the rifle on the big fellow arid 

 again the pressure with a remark from Mac, say- 

 ing, "You no kill him, we get heaper bigger 

 head." Mac, to make sure I would not shoot, 

 had simply pressed my arm down. This made me 

 feel rather provoked at first as the head looked to 

 be a good one, but very probably on account of 



