IX 8 EXPLORATIONS IN THE FAR NORTH 



heads, which had not frozen very much; but the skins around 

 them were stiff and solid, so that it was impossible to fold them 

 up for transportation. 



I spent the day sawing the skulls in halves, so that they might 

 be loaded on the sled, sitting beside a little smoke arising from 

 the bones of the musk-ox which contained enough grease to 

 burn, though not very readily. Our fires were started with 

 birch bark, a small roll being carried by each man for that pur- 

 pose. The pine wood was cut in sticks a foot in length and 

 finely split, then built up in a " log cabin " or a cone. Each man 

 took his turn blowing to keep it alight, as the wood was not dry 

 and the quantity so small that it required constant attention. 



We were destined to spend the next day in the blankets, with 

 the clouds of powdery snow settling down through the smoke- 

 hole of our lodge upon us. We had had but two meals a day 

 since leaving the Coppermine, and when lying storm bound we 

 ate but one. When traveling, although we were voraciously 

 hungry before nightfall, it was thirst which troubled us the 

 most, as we were running most of the time. 



Early on the nineteenth day we sighted musk-ox while yet a 

 long distance from them. While ascending a steep hill I was 

 delayed by my sled sinking in the soft snow until the great 

 awkward balls into which the skins were frozen, projecting at 

 the sides, made the load drag heavily. When I reached the top 

 the others were a quarter of a mile in advance, and instead of 

 waiting for me to come up, they had released their dogs and 

 were likely to kill every musk-ox before I could reach them. 

 Johnnie, remembering the havoc which my Winchester was 

 liable to make in his fur returns, thought best to "suspend the 

 rules" of the hunting code, and let me buy of them if I wanted 

 any musk-ox. Without releasing my dogs, which were wildly 

 tugging at their collars, I started forward with little hopes of 

 killing any musk-ox, but in excellent humor for slaughtering a 

 few Dog Ribs. Fortune, however, smiled upon me. Four bulls 

 of the largest size broke away together, without a dog in pur- 

 suit, and came within range. This was not so much like butch- 

 ering them; they were running much faster than I could on 

 snow-shoes and had a chance for their lives. I killed two as 

 they passed me about a hundred yards distant, and wounded the 

 others so that they were bagged after a run of half a mile. I 



