232 



THE ARCTIC PRAIRIES 



that the brown thing was a Musk-ox. We were not 

 yet in their country, but here was one of them to meet 

 us. Quickly we landed. Guns and cameras were 

 loaded. 



"Don't fire till I get some pictures — unless he 

 charges," were the orders. "And then we raced after 



the great creature gra- 

 zing from us. 



We had no idea 

 whether he would run 

 away or charge, but 

 knew that our plan 

 was to remain unseen 

 as long as possible. 

 So, hiding behind rocks 

 when he looked around, 

 and dashing forward 

 when he grazed, we came unseen within two hundred 

 yards, and had a good look at the huge woolly ox. 

 He looked very much like an ordinary Buffalo, the 

 same in colour, size, and action. I never was more 

 astray in my preconcept of any animal, for I had ex- 

 pected to see something like a large brown sheep. 



My first film was fired. Then, for some unknown 

 reason, that Musk-ox took it into his head to travel 

 fast away from us, not even stopping to graze; he 

 would soon have been over a rocky ridge. I nodded 

 to Preble. His rifle rang; the bull wheeled sharp 

 about with an angry snort and came toward us. His 

 head was up, his eye blazing, and he looked like a South 

 African Buffalo and a Prairie Bison combined, and 



Arctic Hare. August 15, 1907 



