The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1888-10-19
The Wild Caribou.

IL is as fond of the ice rs II school.
boy, and full as ready for q frolic.
After the lee has formed in November.
it is soon followed first by SHOWS, and
then by thaws or rain. 1hclntter con.
verss The snow into slush, resting oE
the firm ice beneath. Now IL srnsi-
bic creature would keep away from
such a mess. But not SO the caribou,
for TO it this makes the very gala time
of the year. The herd go out upon
the lee in single file, then scatter. and
each one falls to paving up the slush
with its forefeef. After they have
tired Of this performance, they fall up
on their knees, and seem to lap the ice
with tt.cir tongues. Why they do this
Is, as far is the writer has been able to
learn, a mystery. 1t certainly is not
from thirst, since they have crossed a
dozen open brooks in their morning
ramblc. Perhaps, TO use one of those
slang expressions so happily indefinite
in leaving unhridled liberty Of detail
to the Imagination of The nearer, .'.hcy
do IL for grandeur This is the most
simple. and indeed at times it seems
the only explanation of many of the
vngatiesof this most singular creature.
After = while one will suspend opera
tons, seem to think things over genel-
ally, then 60 gra1.iv over to where
another has mined down Il piece OF ice
10 extra flavor, and prod and poke it
with the utmost Nigor. The assaulted
party rises To its feet, aud meekiy re-
slgns lis place to the intruder, which
Immediately drops upon its knees aud
continues the operations of its prede-
cesso'., while the ousted either passes
along the compliment by routing out
another, or proceeds to dig n new spot
for itself. Then perhaps all will lie
down for II whiie. and. though one
would think the bed aboutas congcnial
as the inside of an ice-cream freezer.
chew the cud in apparently The acme
of bovine comfort. Next, one will
slowly rise to its feet, round up its
back, aud stretch itself. survey its
comrades 10 select tho one which
seeins must comfortable. and then,
actuated by that ~perversity of DISPOSE
tiou we 80 often see and %anthenlatize
in the human early risers. proceed to
stir it rp with both hoof and horn, UNI
til 1T too gets upon its legs and joins in
the game. Soou all are on their feet,
aud falling iu one behind the other,
move for the woods iu single file,
headed by the leader-always Il bull,
though not invariably the largest in
the herd. They move of at u walk,
their heads hanging down precisely
like cows driven to pasture. Sudden.
ly QUE will become possessed Of adcvil,
and breaking from the ranks with a
hop, skip. and a jump, charge through
tie line again and again, until it is
thrown iato complete disorder. Then
it vii as suddenly fall iuto place, as
6eware as q cat. saying, as distinctly
as 2u attitude eau speak, What! you
do cot mean TO charge this rntilnely
disturbance to inc, do your The
march is then resumed, aud all NAV
disappear at The mcckcst kind of a walk
in the surrounding forest; or, without
the slightest apparent cause, the herd
VIII break into n run MT n pace so keen
you almost fancy you can hear them
WIZ IS they cleavc Il passage through
tho air. This burst of speed may last
for = hundred yards; il may be kept
up through thick and thin for five
miles: the ~ is about rs likely rs the
Other. -Henry T. Wells, IN Ha,pey's
Magasiae.