2 28 Caribou -Hunting. 



they were well aware of the cause of the noise, — a lodged tree sud- 

 denly released by the branches giving way and letting it fall to the 

 ground, — it had the effect of waking them up and loosening their 

 tongues. 



" Sundown come pretty quick now ; best go camp," said Sebatis. 



" Best go camp," echoed Tomah. 



And go to camp we did, in double-quick time, arriving just as 

 darkness was closing in. 



There were several changes of weather during the night, first a 

 drizzling rain, then a sharp frost, followed by more snow. 



" Better luck to-day," said Sebatis. " I dreamin' last night, see 

 'im plenty caribou." 



" John very good han' dreamin' ; I like see 'im fin' caribou first, 

 then I 'lieve him," said Tomah. 



"Why does Tomah call you John?" I asked Sebatis. 



"Well, you see, I got t'ree — four — names, John Baptist Joseph, 

 that's my name." 



"Dreamin' so hard he forgot his name," said Tomah; "he got 

 'nother name 'sides, Saint John Baptist Joseph, that's his name." 



" Sartin, that's true," said Sebatis; "now, I 'member, I tell you 

 all 'bout it — used to be my name just same Tomah tell ; well, you 

 see, that pretty long name, then make 'im shorter, call 'im Saint 

 Baptist; then make 'im shorter 'gain, call 'im Sebatis; s'pose, make 

 'im any shorter, by-em-by, name all gone." 



" Then, your surname — I mean your family name — is Joseph ?" 



" Sartin, my father, all my brothers, got same name, Joseph." 



" Now, Sebatis got fix 'im his name 'gain, s'pose he show us 

 where find 'im caribou," said Tomah. 



" Sartin, snow most over, we go big barren 'gain." 



The snow was greatly in our favor, as just enough had fallen to 

 enable us to walk noiselessly on the crust. 



A very strange sensation is often experienced by the hunter as 

 he walks unconcernedly on his way, after the formation of a crust ; 

 at first he hears a peculiar creaking sound, and fancies that the snow 

 is moving under him, then the creaking becomes louder, and is 

 accompanied by a muffled, rumbling noise, and suddenly the snow 

 under and around him sinks, and he fears that he is about to fall 

 into an abyss. The snow in reality seldom settles over one foot or 



