322 THE BED MOUNTAIN OF ALASKA. 
But Solomon gave not a thought to the picturesque 
qualities of the landscape. He had dropped flat upon his 
stomach beneath a clump of half-grown willows, and was 
peering eagerly out through their stems at some object or 
objects at the further end of the opening. 
At first he thought he saw Joe and Jim, and his heart 
sank. An instant later he discovered the true character 
of the moving creatures just in the edge of the woods at 
the head of the pond. They had four legs apiece, and 
spreading antlers. They were of a grayish brown color 
— about as large as good-sized ponies — and had each a 
light-colored mass of long hair depending from the neck. 
The moment Solomon got a good look at them, he recog- 
nized the animals. Beyond a doubt, they were caribou, a 
fine herd of at least a dozen individuals. They had as 
yet taken no alarm, but were feeding in leisurely enough 
fashion on dried grasses, projecting from the snow, and 
the tender bark of willow shoots. 
Solomon determined to wait until the Indians should 
surround them, rather than make the attempt at stalking. 
By good luck the light wind was in his favor, blowing 
directly from the game. 
Assuming as easy a position as was consistent with con- 
cealment, the backwoodsman set himself to wait patiently 
for some action on the part of his allies. He was spared 
a long delay, however, by a new crowd of actors in the 
scene. 
Solomon at first did not understand the movements of 
