188 THE Aroostook Woops. 

right there for atime. The red deer is the first to be obliged 
to accept close quarters ; next the moose, when the snow is 
very deep, and lastly, the large footed caribou. Yet they 
seem to know what is coming and nearly always find some 
well-known lowland feeding ground beside the brook, before 
they are snowed in upon the ridges or barrens. Handy by 
the clear running, almost always open brook, is their favorite 
place for yarding, more especially the deer and the moose. 
The caribou is a hardy, independent fellow, and yards only 
when the deep snows are light and loose beneath, and the 
crust upon the top is sharp and knifey. 
As we have said, the small spring brooks are scarcely ever 
frozen, and if ever, it is in some rather exposed place; even 
then the deer will often put his foot through and find nice 
water to drink, the same as always open in the swamps as it 
is in winter, warm spring water, protected by the thick 
growth of evergreens and the warm ground which is also 
kept from freezing by the snow continually falling from early 
winter until late in the spring. The cold winds sweeping 
over only the tops of the trees, from off the ridges, and losing 
much of its power before reaching the lowlands, where runs 
the spring brooks the deer love so well. And down below 
these friendly warm trees, the fir, spruce, hemlock and cedar, 
it is like another climate, quite warm compared with the 
ridges. Camping in such localities, we never, in the coldest 
weather, find any frost to interfere with pushing down the 
crotches to support our tent poles; so the deer can always 
find ‘his fay orite spring water in these evergreen lowlands ; not 
ay Er, Aw? fer than in summer of course, but warm and 
Flegink giomared with that from the lakes and exposed 
strelim§-Satside. Here the deer when at first yarding, will 
bow) 
FoRa! 
