The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-09-22
A Caribous Lack of Timidity.
IForest and Stream

A very remarkable adventure befell my I've
daughters on Saturday afternoon last while On
their way TO the Mastigouche Lakes whore
they usually spend several weeks every Sum-
mer. About quarter Of a mile beyond the
last settlement (Mastigouche). where the wood
road to our camp begins, there Is an abandoned
clearing of some few acres in extent, now over.
grown with ferns, raspberry bushes, and small
shrubs. The blackboard. with my two daush-
tiers and driver David Provost, who Is 90 well
known to all the visitors at the lakes, had Just
entered this clearing when David suddenly
stopped his horse, and, pointing with his whip,
said: 80, look at the caribou!" And there,
some 200 yards or less directly In front Of them
was a fine caribou quietly feeding and appsr-
emily unconscious of their presence. After
looking at him for some moments David sajd
he would drive on slowly and see how near he
could get. After covering about half the d.
lance the caribou looked up at them, and evf-
IDENTIFY thinking there was nothing Ysyy
alarming In their presence, quietly returned b
its feeding.
David then drove slowly along to $50 how
close he could approach without frightening 10
away, and when within some 40 or so yards 10
walked into the woods. but almost immediately
returned and stood gazing at them. As the
team still drew nearer, it again turned into the
woods, but this time came out again close to the
wagon, and walked deliberately toward them.
David put out his hand and called, and the
animal reached out his head to smell Of bis
fingers. It then passed on to the horse, walking
alongside of it, then crossed in front under the
horses neck and back along the other side. 20
close to the blackboard that my daughter could
have put her hand on it; then around the back
of the wagon and up again On the other side
near the horse.
David thinking that as the animal seemed q
tame he would try to catch it. handed the rsinf
to my daughter, quietly got down and sp.
preached the caribou, holding out his hand and
calling to It, when it put out its nose and
smelled Of him. He rubbed its nose scratched
Its head, which IL put down and rubbed agsinss
him, aud finally got up close alongside OF II,
and threw his arms over its neck and araSped
the long hair underneath. Then the caribou
Jumped and struck at David with It's feet, but
fortunately did not strike him.
David meanwhile grasped 1t under the throat
with his other hand and held on, and In the
struggle both fell TO the ground. David on top.
The girls of course, were very much excited
and kept calling to David not to hurt the poor
creature, but to let it go; and as 1t lay there
painting after Provost got mp they were sure he
had broken its leg or hurt 1t in some other way
80 seriously that it could not get up How
ever, after punching it with his foot once OK
twice. the carbon got up, shook itself, aud
moved slowly away, and as David got into the
wagon and drove OF, the last of the girls saw Of
it, 1t was quietly feeding again as IL nothing
had happened.
From the description givon Of the animal
should judge 1t to be female about 10 months
old and full grown.
The place where this happened IL near the
Mastigouche Club lakes. in the Lsursntizn
range Of mountains, about 90 miles northeast
of Montreal, and In locality probably well
known to a number OF your readers.