Griggs courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., Dak. [N.D.]) 1885-1902, 1888-11-30
THE CARIBOU ON ICE.
;;u,: This Humorous Animal Amuses Him.
self in Winter.

;;uv: This Humorous Animal Amuses Him
self in Winter.
After the ice has formed in November
it is soon followed first by sncws, and
then by tha.ws or rain The latter con-
vcrts the snow into slush, resting on the
firm ice beneath Now, any sensible
creature would keep away from such
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, Il 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 imagina
tion Of tho hearer, 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 4 while one will suspend opera.
tions, seem to think things over generally,
then go gravely over to where another
has mined down to piece of ice of extra
most vigor The assaulted party rises to
its feet and meekly resigns it's 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 a new spot
for itself. Then perhaps all will lie
down for q while, and though one would
think the bed about as congenial as the
inside Of an ice cream freezer. chew the
cud in apparently the acme of bovine COM
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 anathematizc 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 bull. though not invariably
the largest in the herd. They move off
at walk, their heads hanging down pre-
cisely like cows driven to pasture. Sud-
uculJ OAc NAl1 OCSOnC pOSSeSStu Cl "
devil, and, breaking from the ranks with
hop, skip and ajump, 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
cat, saying, as distinctly as an attitude
can speak, What! you do not mean to
charge this unti1nely disturbance to me,
do you?" The march is then resumed and
oil may disappear at the meekest kind of
q walk in the surrounding forest; or,
without the slightest apparent cause. the
herd will break into 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 Eve miles; tho one is
sbout IS likely a. the other.-Hszpee's &
4Aaaxina.