Part 18 (1/2)

I washimself by the body of the dead cow, rested his rifle so that he could take steady aiave one or two jumps, and fell dead

We had now an ample supply of meat Several other cows had been killed, and the Indians e thees We had crossed no rivers on our way, and e caht it was found that no water had been brought, nor e likely to get any till we reached the encampment

We all sufferedever endured sothe next day's ride back

The Indians, perhaps, bore the want of water better than we did It seemed as if we should drink the stream dry which bubbled up out of the hillside near the camp It took us a whole day to recover

We had intended returning to the fort; but as we required a large supply of buffalo ed the chief to hunt for us, and consented to accompany him on another excursion

Martin, Robin, and I were of course perfectly ready, and set out again with as lee as at first The buffaloes had, however, by this ti way to the south, and it took us three days to come up with them I need not describe another hunt On this occasion the herd was ht and left

Each man, when he shot an animal, dropped some article upon the carcass to shohose prowess it had been killed

Full thirty fat animals were killed, and as the meat in its present condition could not be carried so far, we for strips, which were dried in the sun; a considerable portion also being beaten up into almost a paste, was mixed with the fat to fors of skin, and done up into packages ready for transport

The process is a simple one, but much labour must be expended on it

All this time we had scouts out, not to look after the buffalo, but to watch lest any ene been sent for, the pemmican and fresh meat were packed on them, and we set off on our return to the Cree camp

On our arrival there the chief infor in the neighbourhood; and Alick was very anxious to obtain some, as the flesh is excellent From their wary nature the ly, having dispatched the laden animals with some of our own men, accompanied the chief with another party in the direction where we expected to fall in with the est of all the deer tribe, soht of seven feet at the shoulders, being thus as tall as many ordinary elephants; the horns are enormous, their extremities widely palmated, and so heavy are they that it seee ives it a curious expression of countenance which is far fro trot, which enables it to get over the ground at great speed, and it is surprising how the creature with its enorh the woods in the way it does It then throws back its horns on its shoulders, and calculates the ht by them in the branches It can swim capitally, and often takes to the water in the suround it is difficult to keep up with it When the snow is deep the heavy feet of the moose sink into it at every step, so that it is easily captured during the winter Its colour is a dark broith a yellowish hue thrown over parts of it

As it is as wary as most of the deer tribe, it is difficult to stalk

At the same time, if the hunter knohat he is about, and keeps well to leeward and under cover, he can frequently get near enough for a shot; but his powder un true, or his bullet will not penetrate the animal's thick skin

We killed three elk in asup to it, another by lying hid behind soh to receive the fatal shot, and a third by following it up on horseback

The last chase was the round, I believe that after all the elk would have escaped us; but heading it we got a fair shot at its chest, which brought it to the ground

The next day Robin and I again accoht sight of a large aniet near it At last it moved off, and we followed till it approached a small pond with a reedy island towards one end of it Thewhich it disappeared There was apparently no fir for it, and it must have remained almost if not entirely under water

The chief declared that it was hiding itself beneath the surface, and that if ould wait patiently we should see it again coly,the reeds in a spot from whence we could see the place where the moose disappeared We th the an to wade towards where ere concealed We were afraid of uns pointed at it, lest we should startle it--as these ani--and it should swim off in the opposite direction

Nearer and nearer it can with his head, and Robin and I fired The e, then fell over dead The chief had reserved his fire, lest we should have un, rushed into the water, and dragged the dead hly pleased at our success; for the Indians consider the moose ilant than either the buffalo or the caribou, more prudent and crafty than the antelope In the most violent stor ti the loudest and the most incessant roar, if the hunter even with his foot or his hand breaks the s in the forest, the h it does not always run, it ceases eating, and bends its attention to all sounds If in the course of an hour the hunter neither ain begin to feed, but does not forget what he has heard, and for ilant even than before Our friend told us that thethe former The moose frequents the prairie where the buffalo feeds, while the caribou generally inhabits low and swaed us to remain by the anies, that hehome the meat, with two others for us to ride

With the supplies our own hunters were likely to obtain, we calculated that we should have enough food for ourselves

We had now been er froood-bye, and rode forward northward alone We should have, we calculated, a couple of nights to pass in the open air; but ere all well accustoht it no hardshi+p Our Cree friends purposedsouthward, and told us that we should not be likely to see theain for some time

As it was impossible for us to carry our share of the ed with the chief that he should build what is called a ”sunjegwun,” a high scaffold, on the top of which it was to be deposited and then securely covered over, so that no birds of prey could reach it, while, froht, even bears would not be able to climb up to the top This is an ordinarytheir provisions, when they have obtained more than they can transport at a time Of course, it may possibly be stolen by their enemies, but they select such spots as are not likely to be discovered

Another risk they run is from those arrant thieves the wolverines, which, if they discover what is on the top of the scaffold, though they cannot climb up it, will set to ith their sharp teeth, and try to gnaay the posts

As, however, they are likely to find the operation a long one, the owners may return before they have accoreed not to place the , and we hoped to be able before that ti it into the fort We should have taken so, and we could not wait till it was thoroughly cured