Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-10-04
THE CARIBOU ON ICE.
How This Humorous Animal Arauses Him
self In Winter.

TIoT This Humorous Animal Auuses Him
self In Winter.
After the ice has formed in November
it is soon followed first by SHOWS, and
then by thaws or rain The latter con-
verts the snow into slush, resting on tho
firm ice beneath. Now, any sensible
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 ice in single
file, then scatter, and each one falls TO
paving up the slush with its fore feet.
After they have tired of this performance
they fall upon their knees, and seem to
lap the ice with their tongues. Why they
do this is, as far as the writer has been
able to learn, mystery. 1t certainly is
not thirst, since they have crossed dozen
open brooks in their morning ramble.
Perhaps, to use one Of those slang ex-
pressions so happily indefinite in leaving
unbridled liberty of detail to the magma
ton Of the nearer, they do it for
grandeur" This is the most simple, and
indeed at times it seems the only explana-
ton Of many Of the vagaries Of this most
singular creature.
After while che viii suspend opera
tions, seem to think things over generally,
then go grayely over to where another
has mined down to piece Of ice of extra
flavor and prod and poke it with the ut
most vigor. The assaulted party rises to
its feet and meekly resigns its place to the
intruder, which Immediately drops upon
its knees and continues the operations of
its predecessor, while the ousted either
passes along the compliment by routing
out another or proceeds TO dig new spot
for itself. Then perhaps all viii lie
down for a while, and though one would
think the bed about as congeniI as the
inside of an ice cream freezer, chew the
cud il apparently the acme of bovine CON-
fort. Next, one will slowly rise to It's
feet, round up its back, and stretch itself,
survey its comrades to select the one
which seems most comfortable, and then,
actuated by that perversity Of disposition
we so often see and anathenatize in the
human early riser, proceed to stir it up
with hoof and horn, until it too gets upon
its legs and joins in the game.
Soon all are on their feet, and, falling
in one behind the other, move for the
woods in single file, headed by the leader
always q bull, though not invariably
the largest in the herd. They move off
at walk, their heads hanging down pre-
cisely ike cows driven to pasture. Sud
denly one viii become possessed of G
devil, and, breaking from the ranks with
hop, skip and jump, charge through the
line again and again, until it is thrown
into complete disorder. Then it will as
suddenly fall into place, as demure as q
cat. saying, as distinctly as an attitude
can speak, What! you do not mean to
charge this unrimely disturbance to me,
do your The march is then resumed and
all may disappear at the meekest kind of
q walk IN the surrounding forest; or,
without the slightest apparent cause. the
herd viii break into a run at pace so
keen you almost fancy you can hear them
whiz as they cleave passage through the
air. This burst of speed may last for
hundred yards; it may be kept up through
thick and thin for FIVE miles; the one is
about as likely as the other.-Harper's
Magazine.