Woodland Caribou 



"It was all new and curious; this meeting of their kind; for 

 till now they had lived in dense solitude, each one knowing 

 no living creature save its own mother. 



"Some were timid and backed away as far as possible into 

 the shadow, looking with wild, wide eyes from one to 

 another of the little caribou, and bolting to their mother's side at 

 every unusual movement. Others were bold and took to butting 

 at the first encounter. . . . 



" As I watched them the mothers all came out from the shadows 

 and began trotting round the opening, the little ones keeping 

 close as possible, each one to its mother's side. 



" Then the old ones went faster; the calves were left in a long line 

 stringing out behind. 



"Suddenly the leader veered into the edge of the timber and went 

 over a fallen tree with a jump; the cows followed splendidly, rising 

 on one side and falling gracefully on the other, like gray waves 

 racing past the end of a jetty. 



"But the first little one dropped his head obstinately at the 

 tree and stopped short. The next one did the same thing; only 

 he ran his head into the first one's legs and knocked them out from 

 under him. The others whirled with a ba-a-a-a-ah, and scampered 

 round the tree and up to their mothers, who had turned now 

 and stood watching anxiously to see the effect of their lesson. 



"Then it began over again. It was true kindergarten teaching; 

 for under guise of a frolic the calves were taught a needful lesson 

 not only to jump, but far more important than that, to follow 

 their leader, and to go where he goes without question or hesitation. 



"For the leaders on the barrens are wise old bulls that make 

 no mistakes. 



"Most of the little caribou took to the sport very well, and 

 presently followed their mothers over the low hurdles. But a 

 few were timid, and then came the most interesting bit of the 

 whole strange school, when a little one would be led to a tree 

 and butted from behind till he took the jump. 



"There was no 'consent of the governed 'in the governing. 

 The mothers knew, and the calf didn't, just what was good for him." 



The caribou is such a restless wandering fellow that it is 

 little use to attempt hunting him by following his trail; you 

 may succeed in getting a shot at him in this manner, but the 

 chances are that he will see you first, or at all events become 



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