THE MusaQuasH. 159 


place your number two, three or even four, as it happens, 
and in such a manner as to drown him when he calls again in 
a week or so. Do this all from the canoe if you can; if not, 
the water is handy ; wet well your tracks and the traps. 
In the spring of the year as the warm days approach, by 
getting in ambush and keeping quiet, one can easily call them 
very near. The Indian is an adept at calling. He places 
the tips of his first two fingers upon his lips, and by making 
quick, kissing sounds imitates them to a nicety, and brings 
them to within a few yards of his hiding place. 
A few are taken at times in a novel manner, when the clear 
ice first forms, and skating is in order, when two persons can 
have quite a little circus. This is by disturbing their house 
a little, when they will take to the water, and can be seen 
swimming just under the thin ice. Following them, they 
must soon put their nose against the ice to renew their breath. 
When one has breathed out his bubble of air and is waiting 
for it to become oxygenated, a blow is struck over his head, 
which frightens him from it, and without his breath he soon 
keels up beneath the ice, is cut out and bagged. 
Many are taken in the fall and spring by the Indians. Two 
camping and trapping together, using the birch bark canoe 
altogether, disdaining any other kind of a craft. They look 
forward to this time in the fall of the year with pleasure, and 
so much do they enjoy the fall hunt, musquashing, they hardly 
wait for the first litter of kittens (of which they have always 
two, and often three of a season,) to change their hue from 
mouse color to golden brown, before starting in for the har- 
vest. They consider the hams, or saddles, to be the best of 
food, and at this time have many a glorious feast. Correct 
they- are, for although broiled musquash sounds different 
