CARIBOO HUNTING. l.")! 



flew over the camp. It froze pretty sharp, too ; the trees 

 cracked loudly in the forest." 



" I hear 'um, sure enough," replied the Indian. " Guess 

 winter set in pretty hard up to nor'rerd. I got notion 

 some of us have luck to-day, capten. I dreamin' very 

 hard last night. When I dream so always sure sign wc 

 have luck next day. I think it will be you ; me and the 

 other gentleman must go back and try to get the 

 wounded calil)oo calf." 



" Very well, then : Noiil hunts with me again to-day," 

 said I, looking at the younger Indian, who nodded assent 

 and drew on his moccasins. " Come on, Noel ; put a 

 biscuit in your pocket, and let us be oft' for the barrens." 



It was a lovely morning when w^e left the camp ; not 

 a breath of wind, and the sun shone through the trees, 

 lighting with extraordinary brilliancy the sparkling snow 

 which had been s})rinkled during the night with rime 

 frost. All nature seemed to rejoice at the warming 

 influence of the sun's rays. The s(|uirrel raced up the 

 stems with more than usual activity, and the little chick- 

 adee birds darted about amongst the spruce boughs in 

 merry troo})s, dislodging showers of snow, and con- 

 tinuously uttering the cheerful cry which has given them 

 their local sohrujuet. The tapping of the woodpecker 

 resounded throuy-h the calm forest, and the harsh warning 

 note of the blue jay gave notice of our approach to his 

 comrades and the forest denizens in general. Her(3 and 

 there a ruffed grouse started with Ijoisterous flight from 

 our path, as we disturbed his meditations on some sunlit 

 stump ; and, soon after entering the barren, a red fox 

 jumped from the warm side of a clump of bushes where 

 he had been basking, and made oft" at racing speed — a 



