230 Tue Aroostook Woops. 


push out his nose a bit, and again draw himself far down. 
The beech fork was placed firmly over his neck, as we wished 
to take him alive, but he would slip from under it very 
quickly. Again this was tried, and several times, before he 
could be held as quiet as we wished, to be muzzled and to 
snap the collar with the chain upon him, far back of his fore 
shoulders. At last we concluded we had him; and he was yet 
so stuffy he would scarcely spit at us, and it was lucky for us, 
though not for him, that we took the precaution to have the 
shot-gun ever in readiness during the time, for just as we were 
in the act of snapping the collar together, he with a quick roll 
over, released his toes, slipped from under the beech fork at 
the same instant, and was making lively leaps for a thicket, 
when the captain telegraphed him to stop over for our train. 
Over the trail on the line during the first snows, each one 
is particular to follow exactly in the Indian path, tramping 
down a good road, not knowing how long they must use 
moccasins before good snow-shoeing. Thus a road is 
marked out which is on the improvement, being travelled over 
after each storm. Often it is quite level and smooth, even 
from the moccasin tracks; and when the snow everywhere 
outside of it is covered with a noisy crust (if travelled on) the 
path is hard packed and can be walked upon in the moccasins 
without noise, which is a point, if creeping for a shot. The 
path is usually pretty clear from annoyance, in the way of 
sprouts and windfalls, as they are kept cut out in bad chances 
to pass along. This path is handy for, and often followed by 
the caribou. Coming upon it, they most always step into it 
for the good walking, and if it is running their way, will keep 
to it for quite a distance. 
To get a shot at one betimes, and at times, is a point with 
