Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1889-01-02
THE CARIBOU ON ICE.
Few This humorous Anlmsl Amuses Him.
self IN Winter.

self in Winter.
After tie ice hiss formed In November
Il Is soon followed first by SHOWS, and
then by thaws or rain. The latter con-
yerts 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 1t
this makes the very gala time of the year.
The herd 60 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 10 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 50 happily indefinite in leaving
unbridled liberty of detail TO the magma
ton of the nearer. they do 1t for
grandeur" This is the most simple, and
indeed at times il seems the only explana-
ton of many of the yagaries of this most
singular creature.
After while one will suspend opera
tions, seem to think things over generally,
then 90 gravely over 20 where another
has mined down to piece of ice of extra
flavor and prod and poke it with the Mt
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 will lie
down for 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 its
feet, round up Its back, and stretch itself,
survey it's comrades 10 select the one
which seems most comfortable, and then,
actuated by that perversity of disposition
we so often see and anathematize In the
human early riser, proceed to stir 1t up
with hoof and horn, until it too gets upon
its legs and joins in tho 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 a bull, though not invariably
tho largest in tho herd. They move off
at o walk, their heads hanging down pre-
cisely like cows driven to pasture. Sud
denly one will become possessed of a
devil, and, breaking from the ranks with
q 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 a
cat, saying, as distinctly as an attitude
can speak, WHAT You do not mean TO
charge this untimely disturbance to me,
do youi" The march is then resumed and
all may disappear at the meekest kind of
a 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 q
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.