428 



RECREATION. 



head of it, we having tramped only about 

 a mile. 



Then we had another "stidy" of a mile, 

 and then about 3 miles more of rapids. We 

 finally landed at our destination at about 

 4 o'clock in the afternoon. George and 

 William had built a log camp there, cov- 

 ered with birch bark, which was a most 

 welcome refuge from the rain. We soon 

 had our tent up, and Frank and I lodged 

 in that. 



COPYRIGHT, 1899, BY S. H. PARSONS. 



COMING DOWN THE TRAIL. 



Early the next morning, the 21st, we took 

 the trail for the big marsh, which begins 

 about a mile from where we camped, and 

 extends some 10 miles up the river, with 

 a width of 2 to 4 miles. Narrow strips of 

 timber intersect the marsh, affording ex- 

 cellent cover for stalking game, and the 

 entire tract is a favorite feeding ground 

 for the caribou. When we emerged from 

 the timber George climbed a tall spruce 

 and took a survey of the country, but 



failed to see any game. Then we separated, 

 each of us being accompanied by one of the 

 guides. George and I went about 2 miles 

 up the marsh, on the right hand side, when 

 he climbed another tree and scanning the 

 ground carefully, as far as he could see, 

 finally located a big stag lying down. 

 When he pointed him out to me, I could see 

 him from where I stood. 



George descended and we made a long 

 detour to get behind a strip of timber 

 which would give us an easy approach. As 

 we entered this grove another buck came 

 round the point and we almost met him in 

 the trail. We were within 30 yards of him 

 when I saw him. He stopped and looked 

 at me, as thev always do before starting to 

 run. I had ample time to kill him, but he 

 had not a good head, so I let him go. 

 Meantime, the buck we were after got up, 

 crossed the strip of timber we were fol- 

 lowing, and went out on another sec- 

 tion of the marsh. We followed him as 

 fast as we could walk. He stopped occa- 

 sionally to feed, but kept up a lively walk 

 between nips. Meantime, he crossed an- 

 other strip of timber, and as we traveled 

 much faster than he did, we gained 

 steadily on him. Finally we got within 

 200 yards of him, in the midst of an open 

 tract of ground. I asked George if I 

 would not better shoot from there. 



"No," he said ; "we will get close up." 



"Whenever the caribou stopped to take a 

 bite of moss, we moved rapidly. When he 

 raised his head to look around we stopped 

 in a crouching posture. Finally we got 

 within 100 yards, and I whispered to 

 George that I thought I would better shoot. 



"No," he said ; "keep still ; we will get 

 on top of him in a few minutes." 



Again the head went down and again 

 we rushed forward. Again it raised, and 

 again we crouched. At last we were within 

 50 yards of the big brute, and I do not be- 

 lieve George would have stopped then had 

 I not hissed at him and raised my rifle. At 

 that instant the old monarch, who was 

 moving straight away from us, swung his 

 head and looked back. I shall never forget 

 the picture he made. He appeared almost 

 wholly white, and was of impressive 

 stature. His great, branching antlers reach- 

 ing out from the base and approaching each 

 other again at the tops, with his heavy 

 brow tines dropping down over his face, 

 were commanding and imposing. I aimed 

 simply between his body and his head, and 

 at the crack of the rifle the great beast went 

 down with a broken neck. 



Meantime, we had sighted sevei 1 more 

 caribou on different parts of the marsh. 

 and started after them. I wanted heads of 

 a doe and a fawn, to make a complete fam- 

 ily, inasmuch as I have families, or pairs, 

 of mountain sheep, elk, goats, etc. We left 

 the big buck and made a bee line for a 



