Caribou - Hun ting. 227 



"Two bullets kill 'im that caribou sartin this time," said Sebatis, 

 pointing to two bullet-holes in the body of the poor caribou. 



" Where have you been, Tomah ? We thought you were lost." 



" No, not lost. When I fin' out wind wrong way, then I go in 

 woods an' come out head barren ; turn 'im caribou." 



,; Did you get a shot at them ?" 



" Sartin, I kill 'im caribou." 



" How many did you see ?" 



" Bout t'irteen. Five come this way, rest gone away somewhere, 

 may be big barren. Sartin plenty caribou big barren to-morrow." 



" Why do you say to-morrow ? " 



" 'Cause caribou all travelin' to-day. I see 'im tracks go every- 

 where, an' plenty sign bite 'im moss, besides." 



We cached the caribou killed by Sebatis and I, then tramped to 

 the head of the barren and performed a like office for the one killed 

 by Tomah, — a two-year-old buck, — then to camp, as it was too 

 late in the day to try the big barren. 



" Now," said Sebatis, after dinner and the invariable pipes, 

 41 Tomah an' me go hunt 'im wood an' bark, make 'im tobaugan, then 

 we haul 'im caribou camp. Keep 'im safe, you see." 



During the night there was a fall of snow, which made the snow- 

 shoeing heavy. However, we determined to try the big barren ; and 

 a weary day we had of it, tramping over the soft snow, which accu- 

 mulated on the front of the snow-shoe and required quite an effort 

 to throw it off. All traces of the old tracks were obliterated, and 

 we did not see a fresh track that day, although we searched the 

 greater part of the barren, being careful to disturb the snow as little 

 as possible, as a show-shoe trail is almost certain to frighten off a 

 herd of caribou. 



After patient watching and manifold observations obtained by 

 climbing trees, the Indians at length, in despair, gave up hunting 

 and took to their pipes. Although as much disappointed as they 

 were, I well knew that it would be futile to urge them on to hunt 

 until they recovered their spirits. Like two graven images, they sat 

 puffing away at their pipes, and to all appearance might have con- 

 tinued so doing until the crack of doom, but for an opportune crash, 

 as of breaking branches, followed by a resounding fall that came 

 from the forest, a little to the right of our position ; and although 



