CAMP FIRES IN THE YUKON 135 



Then the flankers and Baker began to move for- 

 ward, lighting trees every two hundred yards as they 

 progressed; and as we, who were to do the shoot- 

 ing, watched the flaming torches come nearer, it 

 became obvious that the plan was absolutely perfect 

 for the extermination of moose. But there were 

 two fatally weak points in its execution for Baker 

 had too much ground to cover between the flankers 

 and should have had another to assist him, as the 

 moose had too much chance to break back before 

 he could cover the ground with his fires; the other 

 weakness lay in the fact that the hunters were placed 

 in such a way that the moose could easily circle our 

 ends without being seen, and the plan worked out 

 in just that way. 



Finally a cow moose came into sight and we let 

 her pass; next Baker came along lighting trees and 

 ringing his infernal bell, while Dixon passed north 

 of us along the timber line, igniting trees. Then 

 we realized some one had misunderstood and the 

 drive was called off, not to be repeated. Baker and 

 the writer decided to ride north along the plateau 

 with the possibility of locating game, while the 

 others returned to camp. 



Jim and I agreed that with one or two extra men 

 to help him in the center and the hunters placed 

 where the plateau narrowed farther down, the 

 moose drive would have been perfect; we also 

 agreed that we were quite pleased that it did not 



