CHAPTER VII 



THE MUSK-OX HUNT 



TOWARD the end of February the Indians gathered in bands 

 along the edge of the Barren Ground, where they killed 

 caribou in preparation for the musk-ox hunt. A considerable 

 portion of the Yellow Knife and Dog Rib tribes depend entirely 

 on the sale of musk-ox robes to obtain credit at the Company's 

 stores, from which they must buy tea, tobacco, ammunition, 

 etc. Since they had given up the fall hunt, owing to the 

 severity of the season, it became the more necessary that they 

 should succeed in the spring. They were unwilling to run the 

 risk of admitting a white man to the great hunting ground, 

 which is peculiarly their own. Although they looked upon any 

 white man not connected with the Company as lawful prey, 

 who was to pay exorbitant prices for their services, because "he 

 is rich and we are poor," their superstition was stronger than 

 their cupidity. Naohmby sent a message to the effect that I 

 might come to his camp if I wished. True> he had promised 

 to take me to the musk-ox, but he and his followers were starv- 

 ing and it was doubtful if they could kill any caribou for the 

 hunt. This was not encouraging, and as I knew that Naohmby 

 really followed the longest route to the Barren Ground, reach- 

 ing it at a point northeast of the Great Bear Lake, I gave up 

 the plan of accompanying him and determined to pounce upon 

 the first band of Dog Ribs which made its appearance at Rae. 

 On the 4th of March I told a party of four, who had come to 

 the fort for ammunition for the hunt, that I was going with 

 them whether they wanted me to do so or not. With the aid 

 of the fort interpreter we discussed the matter until midnight. 

 Johnnie Cohoyla, a petty chief, was leader of the party. He 

 had been engaged by the Company in his younger days as a 

 boatman, when he had acquired a limited vocabulary of Red 



1 08 



