Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1890-01-13
THE WILD CARIBOU.
How This Noble Animal Amuses Himself
and His Mates.

1t is as fond of the ice as schoolboy, and
full as ready for frolic says HGrper's Nag
dzine. After the ice has formed In Novem-
ber. 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
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
his forefeet. 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 GER
tainly is not from thirst, since they have
crossed dozen open brooks in their morn
ing ramble. Perhaps to use one of those
slang expressions so happily indefinite in
leaving unbridled liberty of detail to the i'm
agination of the 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 awhile one will
suspend operations, seem to think things
over generally, then go gravely over to
where another has mined down to a piece
of ice Of extra favor, and prod and poke 1t
with the utmost 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 op-
erations OF its predecessor, while the GUST
ed 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 awhile, 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
comfort. Next, one will slowly rise to its
feet, round up its back, and stretch itself,
survey it's comrades to select the one which
seems most comfortable, and then, actuated
by that perversity of disposition weso often
see and anathematize 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 a bull, though not in
yariably the largest in the herd. They move
off at a 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 hop,
skip and a jump, charge through the line
again and again, until it is thrown into COM
plete 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 un'
timely disturbance to me, do you" The
march is then resumed, and all may disap
pear at the meekest kind Of walk in the
surrounding forest; or, without the slight
est apparent cause, the herd will break int
run at a pace so keen you almost fancy
you can hear them whiz as they cleave
passage through the air This burst o.
speed may last for hundred yards; it may
be kept up through thick and thin for hy'
miles; the one is about as likely as th'
other