IN THE FAR WEST. 171 



meat, and not the fire; for the sole purpose of the latter is to 

 keep flies away, and to lessen the effect of the night dew. If 

 ants appear, the upright poles are greased, and this causes 

 them to retreat in a short time. The meat is often cured by 

 merely hang-ing 1 it on the boughs of trees, or on frames in 

 long strips, and turning it round occasionally for two or 

 three days. These platforms are frequently met with in the 

 hunting regions frequented by Indians and half-breeds, and if 

 they contain any pabulum, the wayfarer is permitted to take 

 all he wants for present necessities, but to pocket none for 

 future use, for such is the recognized custom of the land. 



The stages are frequented at all times by wolves, and some- 

 times by wild cats, but they seldom get any of the contents. 

 There is one creature, however, which is fortunate enough to 

 feast off the stores, and that is the wolverine, one of the most 

 daring, courageous and cunning animals in the world. Instead 

 of wasting its time in sniffing and sighing, or trying to climb 

 the thin, upright stakes, it quietly goes to work and cuts a 

 number of them down with the dexterity and rapidity of the 

 beaver, its sharp teeth enabling it to do this in the course of 

 a few hours. When several posts are cut away, the platform 

 and its contents tumble down, and the wily animal enjoys a 

 feast that would cause a hungry wolf to go into ecstasies. 

 Should the latter attempt to become a participator of the good 

 things procured by the other, however, it pays dearly for its pre- 

 sumption, for the wolverine allows nothing, except its own kin- 

 dred, to be self-invited to its board. It is probably the most 

 cunning animal on the Continent, and a fox or a wolf is only 

 a sucking dove compared to it. It defies traps, and no matter 

 how carefully a hunter may secure his bait, it will probably 

 be taken away, and no result left for it. Meat buried deep 

 under the snow for safe keeping is stolen with a promptitude 

 and ability that defies detection ; but the experienced hunter 

 knows at once who is the thief, and frequently does not attempt 

 to follow in pursuit, for he knows how useless it would be. 



This western robber and glutton is a peculiar-looking 

 creature belonging to the Mu^ltlida-, and is the largest of 

 the genus. It is not unlike a polecat in form, but it is 



