GAIT. 273 



rapidly, but in an agitated way, as if glad of my protection. 

 Something must have greatly alarmed him, though I could not 

 discover what it was. His tail was elevated, though not vertical, 

 and the hairs spread out, as described on the Virginia deer, under 

 similar circumstances. His bounds were on all the feet at once, 

 precisely as described for the mule deer. I repeat, I think the 

 paces of the two species, as well as the antlers, are as nearly alike 

 as possible, and quite unlike those of any of the other species. 



The INIoose walks, trots, gallops, and makes long horizontal leaps. 

 When pressed his principal gait is a long, swinging, and rapid 

 trot. He thus passes through deep snows, over the high trunks 

 of fallen trees, and through thick brush in a manner truly aston- 

 ishing. He very rarely resorts to a running gait, unless when 

 thrown off his balance by excitement, as when charging an ad- 

 versary. His stealthy and rapid walk when he sees or smells 

 approaching danger is well calculated to astonish the hunter. 

 The latter gets a glimpse of the game, and supposing himself un- 

 observed, thinks it cannot escape without his knowledge, and com- 

 mences stalking it, while the animal snuffs the taint in the air 

 and stealthily glides away almost before his eyes and at a rapid 

 rate, without the least rustling among the leaves or the crack- 

 ing of a twig, and is miles away before his escape is even sus 

 pected. All agree that the Moose will escape with great celerity 

 and witliout noise over ground where an Indian with moccasoned 

 feet could not go without being heard, unless at a very slow and 

 cautious rate. 



The gaits of the Caribou are, the walk, the trot, and the run, or 

 gallop. When undisturbed and migrating from place to place, 

 the gait is invariably a walk, unless one lags beliind the band to 

 pick up some choice morsel which has tempted it, when it may 

 strike into a. moderate trot to overtake its companions. When 

 the Reindeer becomes alarmed, he will strike into a Ions: swine- 

 ing trot, which he maintains for hours, and he allows nothing to 

 divert him, till he has fairly left the country, or at least till he 

 has placed many miles between himself and the object which 

 alarmed him. His ordinary traveling gait then, is a walk ; when 

 in haste he trots, but when greatly alarmed he runs with speed. 

 When Captain Hardy missed his first Caribou, wliich was lying 

 down in the snow, he says : " Up they jumped, five of them, ap- 

 parently rising from all directions around us, and, after a brief 

 stare, made off in long graceful bounds." ^ Before, on p. 230, 



1 Forest Life in Acadie, London ed., p. 148. 

 18 



