Caribou -Hunting. 2 1 7 



ently it stopped, and seemed to be squatting on its haunches ; then 

 there came a curious, crackling sound, like the crunching of bones ; 

 then a faint light, gradually increasing in brightness and volume 

 until the surroundings began to take form, and long shadows crept 

 stealthily past me, and the object which I had mistaken for a bear 

 arose upon his legs, and quietly observed : 



" Pretty good fire by-em-by, when Tomah fetch dry hard wood ; " 

 then tramped off to assist Tomah in carrying in the fire- wood. 



"Now, then, best cook supper first," said Sebatis ; "then make 

 'im bough bend ; too hungry now." 



" All right, Sebatis ; but how are you going to boil the water for 

 the tea?" 



"Well, sartin, we don't have no kettle; have boil 'im water in 

 birch bark; make kin' of box, you see." 



" I don't believe you can do it." 



" You don't 'lieve it ? Well, by t'unders, I show you pretty quick, 

 when Tomah fetch bark." 



And show me he did ; and better tea I never tasted than that 

 brewed by Sebatis in his kettle of birch bark, and served in little 

 cups of the same material, deftly fashioned by Tomah. 



The frosts of winter had not yet sealed the forest lakes, and the 

 night was unusually mild, — so much so, indeed, that Sebatis pre- 

 dicted a sudden change ere long. 



During the lulls in the talk, I fancied that I heard the notes of a 

 bird, but did not allude to it, as the sound might have been caused 

 by steam escaping from one of the huge logs piled on the fire. 



"Just so I told you," remarked Sebatis, as he arose to get a light 

 for his pipe, " big snow-storm comin'." 



"Why do you think so, Sebatis?" 



" I hear 'im wa-be-pe singin' just now ; that always sign storm 

 comin'." 



" Is wa-be-pe a bird?" 



" Yes ; wa-be-pe little bird ; got kin' of small little spots all over." 



"Does it sing at night?" 



"Always; sings best when moonlight; then he sing once every 

 hour all night; s'pose he sing dark night, sign storm comin'." 



"Is he like any of the birds that were about the camp 

 yesterday ? " 



