CAMP FIRES IN THE YUKON 121 



across the glaring snow-crust for sheep range, 

 circling around the base of the mountains. 



Five miles into the sea of peaks above our camp 

 we saw a herd of thirty-four caribou that had been 

 summering in the high altitudes, but were now 

 driven out by the winter and were on the march to 

 lower levels. There were cows, calves, and small 

 bulls, in charge and under the strict domination of 

 a fine old bull with a big head, which we decided not 

 to shoot for fear of alarming the sheep that might 

 be within hearing distance. We were quite content 

 to watch the old patriarch manage his large family: 

 we saw him lead the way to a small willow patch, 

 and after his flock had browsed a few minutes he 

 deliberately drove them away and headed them 

 down the valley towards us, rushing first on one 

 side, then on the other, and finally at the rear of 

 the column, trying to keep his charges from strag- 

 gling or wandering off the course. 



When the caribou saw us at about two hundred 

 yards they started to stampede in different courses, 

 but the old bull ran to the head of the column and 

 changed the leader's course, and utterly regardless 

 of his own danger from us he rushed about, herding 

 the animals in the way he had selected, and was him- 

 self the last to follow; and as the flying band van- 

 ished around a low ridge the old fellow was charg- 

 ing a few smaller bulls from behind, driving them 

 forward to make a compact formation. 



