The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1888-10-27
FREAKS OF THE CARIBOU.
How Ii Converts an lee Field Into Winter
Playground-Proving Fun a Quality Not En-
joyed by Man Alone.
September Uarper's.

TiayRrounu-frONinS un aQuallty NOT In
joyed by Man Alone.
September Harper's.
Unlike the solitary moose, the caribou
delights in the company of it's kind. To-
day it will act as il almost afraid of it's
own shadow, and display a keenness of
eye ear and nose, aud a vigilance in their
uss which render an approach within
rifle shot next to impossible; tomorrow
it will stand the fire of the hunter like
one of the Old Guard, facing him at
short range while in the paroxysms of
the buck fever he misses shot after shot
and until either the pump ping machinery
of his repeating rifle sucks dry or fortune
bestows upon him one of those smiles
with which ID is wont occasionally to
favor the inexperienced. To- day 1t will
follow for miles along a trail over which
a man has passed not 30 minutes before;
to morrow one sniff of the tainted track
and il will not break it's run for five miles.
It is as fond of the ice as a school boy
and full as ready for a frolIc. After the
ice has formed in November, it is soon
followed first by SHOWS and then by thaws
or rain. The latter converts the snow
into slush, resting on the firm ice be-
meath. Now, any sensible creature would
keep away from such a Esess. But not
so the caribou, for to it this makes the
very gals 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 the forefeet. After they
have tired of this performance they fall
upon their knees aud seem to lap the
Ice with their tongues. Why they do
this is, as far as the writer has been able
to learn, mystery. II certainly is not
from thirst, since they have crossed a
dozen open brooks in their morning
ramble. Perhaps, to use one of those
| slang expressions SO happily indefinite
in leaving unbridled liberty of detail TO
the imagination of the hearer, "they do
it for grandeur"
his is the most simple, and indeed at
times IL seems the only explanation of
many of the vagaries of this most singu-
lar creature. After while one will sus-
pend operations, seem to think things
over generally, then go gravely over TO
where another has mined down 10 piece
of ice OF extra flavor, and prod and poke
1t with the utmost vigor. The assaulted
then rises to its feet and meekIy resigns
its place to the intruder, which lmmedi-
ately drops upon its knees and continues
the operations of its predecessor, while
the ousted either passes along the com
pliment by routing out another or pro-
ceeds to dig a new spot for itself. Then,
perhaps, all will lie down, for a While,
and, though one would think the bed
about as congenial as the inside OF an
ice-cream free Ter, chew the cud in appar
emily the acme of bovine comfort. Next,
ore 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 Of
ten see and anathsn4atiZe in the human
early riser, proceed to stir il up with
hoof and horn until it, too, gets legs ani
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 bull, though not
invariably the largest in the herd. They
move off on a walk, their heads hanging
dowL precisely like cows driven to past
ure. Suddenly one will become POSSESSED
of a devil, and, breaking from the ranks
with n hop, skip and jump, charge
through the line again and again, until
it Is thrown iu.o complete disorder.
Then it will as suddenly fall into place,
as demure as cat, saying, as distinctly
as an attitude can speak. What! you do
not mean to charge this untimely disturb
ance To me, do your" The march is then
resumed, and all may disappear at the
meekest kind of walk in the surround
ing forest; or. without the slightest ap-
parent cause, the herd will break into a
run at pace SO keen you almost fancy
you can hear them whiz as they cleave a
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 10 about as likely
as the other.