30 NATURE'S REALM. 
countable lost two No. 4 traps which had been 
set for otter. Fred declared nothing but a 
human being took them and they had been car- 
ried away previous to the first snow, although 
no signs had been seen. It is a well recognized 
law amongst hunters, whites or Indians, that 
all traps or furs in them are to be held inviola- 
ble, and often one hunter striking another line 
will return the furs he may find in them. 
The next day was again snowy and sleety, 
and as another line of marten traps had to be 
set, Johnny-cakes flavored with Mr. Bruin’s 
lard, toboggan wood, snow-shoe bows and 
lots of etceteras were worked at. Next day, 
being fine an early start was made, the plunder 
being axes, bait, bag, blankets and drag. A 
northerly course was decided upon, Jeading 
through spruce lands and juniper barrens. 
This was a big day’s work, with nearly a foot 
of snow on the ground, but the caribou tracks 
were plenty. At night they had sixty traps 
set, which was also a big day’s work, thirty- 
five of them being planted by Fred. Next day 
about 10 o'clock they struck the end of a bar- 
ren with a few straggling junipers growing at 
about half a mile from them, and here they 
counted thirteen caribou. A council of war 
was held, and, as hide was wanted for snow- 
shoes (the caribou being preferable to any 
other), also bait and drag, it was ordered that 
one of the herd should die. As the wind was 
right and blowing hard the boys crept along 
in the spruce woods at the edge of the barren, 
and on peeping out to learn as to their pro- 
gress on the herd, a mighty fellow, the lord of 
the harem, who had been lying down previously, 
had risen. 
«Oh, Fred,” says Joe, ‘‘take that head for 
the old man; isn’t he a daisy!” 
«All right,” replied Fred, “I'll lower his 
horns for him.” 
On they crept until nearly opposite at about 
one hundred and fifty yards distant. Some of 
the herd were scraping the snow from the moss, 
others were lying down. 
‘«« Now,” says Fred, ‘“‘the bull goes first and 
then that sleek young cow. She is the beef for 
stews.” 
When the big stag got the Winchester bullet 
he gave one leap and fell ; immediately recov- 
ering, he got three more and tumbled in a 
heap. Fred had him under the sight, but see- 
ing the last fall knew he was done for. No 
move as yet was made by the herd, as they had 
neither seen nor smelled anything. Fred then 
aimed for the brain of the young cow and she 
fell like a clod. The boys went over thirty 
yards toward them, the herd now running at 
a tangent for the woods, when the cow rose, 
going like a flash. ‘‘Ah,” says Fred, ‘‘not so 
fast,” and as he swerved to follow the herd 
Killdeer spoke, but the cow still kept on. The 
next ball did the job, going right through the 
heart, the first one having glanced from the 
skull, stunning her; the second went through 
the body six inches behind the heart. Skinning, 
dismembering and tricing up the quarters to 
trees and burying the offal, so that game com- 
ing around would have to go to the traps set 
for them, occupied the rest of the day. 
Next morning the trap setting was resumed, 
the caribou broil having put fresh life in the 
boys, and night brought them up on the bor- 
ders of quite a large lake with fifty more traps 
for their day’s work. Breakfast was had long 
before day and Fred was away to round the 
lake, find its outlet and look for beaver. Joe 
was to go on rebaiting traps, if necessary, on ~ 
the home track and cuttrng any bushes in the 
way of hauling a toboggan. Joe had not gone 
far before a lynx who had been following the 
drag on the preceding day unfortunately got 
his foot into a steel trap. When cornered in 
this manner they are somewhat ugly and too 
close acquaintance is not desirable, owing to 
the length and sharpness of their claws; but 
Joe this time happened to have Fred’s old Colt 
at his belt and soon fixed Mr. Lynx, skinning 
him on the spot and making a bait of the car- 
cass, for if another one happens to come that 
way he is sure to make a meal of his fellow. 
The lynx have the poorest faculty of smell of 
any of the game animals and hunt more by 
sight. The beaver has the keenest, along with 
with the moose and caribou, but the otter is 
the shyest. Not one in twenty will ever cross a 
snow-shoe track ; the slightest noise near his 
place of resort will at once scare him. One 
noted peculiarity of the otter is where he once 
crosses the forest from one water to another, 
