74 CAMP FIRES IN THE YUKON 



climb the mountain where the caribou was resting 

 and to look for sheep among the peaks beyond. 

 During the climb, the caribou got our wind and fled 

 across the range; an eagle perched on a rock three 

 hundred feet above us looked down with a superior 

 stare but without fear, as he continued a spectator 

 of our slow climbing until we reached the jagged 

 pinnacles of rock and started down the other side. 

 We met a small bull caribou, which circled around 

 us within seventy-five yards, apparently actuated by 

 a friendly interest; for some time he kept up his 

 circling tactics, trying evidently to get our wind, but 

 the breeze was from him to us, and, as we did not 

 look dangerous to him, the graceful creature con- 

 tinued to follow us around. After the caribou had 

 been trailing us around for half an hour, Baker said : 

 " Looks to me like that varmit thinks I might be 

 his grandmother and is going to hang around until 

 he is certain." We told Baker, " If you are a dead 

 ringer for that caribou's grandmother, then the old 

 lady certainly could not enter in a beauty contest." 

 Half way down the slope the caribou had circled 

 behind us, where he got our wind ; throwing his head 

 up in the air with nostrils quivering he stood for a 

 moment, then like a shot dashed away down the 

 mountain. 



Having gotten rid of the distracting caribou, we 

 turned our attention to the sheep hunting, and lo- 



