The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1896-12-12
ON SNOWSHOES.
Our Three-Caribou Feast in the
Barren Grounds.
Feeding the Dogs-Men Ate the Intes-
tines and the Fat, the Animals
/ Ate the Meat-Trying
Experiences.

- Experiences.
When we killed caribou the dogs were
fed on the spot, and the little meat re-
naming was divided among the sledges,
to be carried for them against the days
we were not so lucky. We never were
lucky enough to kill before this little
supply was exhausted. Had we been,
we (the seven Indians and y would have
eaten meat. AS it was, we ate the intes-
tines and fat and the dogs ate the meat,
because there was not nourishment
enough in the intestines for the dogs.
Before we left Resolution Beniah and
had thorough understanding on this
point. Many of the Indian expeditions
to the Barrens are crippled by loss of
doge from starvation, and I knew the
loss of our dogs meant failure, so we de-
cided if there was any starving the
greater part of it should fall on us,
realizing, of course, that if the worst
came we could eat the dogs. Beniah
held to his agreement and forced COM
pliance from the Others, and to his wis
dom in this direction, in fact, is due
much of our success in getting out of
the Barrens.
When it is remembered that the or
binary meal for dog train. e., four
dogs, that are travelling 80 or more
miles day-consists of a caribou hind
and fore quarter, that we had % dogs,
and that we never got more than Carl
bou or two at intervals of several days,
the reader may understand why the
dogs were like wild animals, and why we
ate the intestines and grease and saved
them the meat.
When we killed musk-ox we first cut
off meat for day or two's dog feeding
and then turned the dogs loose on the
carcasses, over which they worried and
snarled and fought the livelong night.
When there were no carcasses they were
fed out of hand from the slender sup
ply on the sledge, and then they fought
US and worried the weaker among them
selves into dividing the frozen chunks
that were tossed to them.
This dog feeding was trying expert
ence. All the trains were fed at the
same time-wben we camped a night
and such scene cannot be duplicated
anywhere on earth. AS we emerged from
the lodge with the tiny feed rolled up in
the skirt of our capote, there was rush
by the dogs that pretty nearly carried
US off our feet, and frequently knocked
down the lodge. We always tried, but
never with success, to steal march Or
the dogs and get away from the lodge
before the rush, but the moment one of
us showed his head they gathered for
the assault, and there was nothing to
do but to scramble out as best we could.
otherwise they would have poured into.
the lodge and torn it and our clothes to
pieces in their crazy hunger. So we
would bolt out in "a body, heads down,
and hugging the meat to our breasts
with one hand, use the whip vigorously
with the other, while the dogs jumped
into us and on cop of us in their frantic
endesvors to tear away the little scrap Of
meat we held. Gradually we would
separate, and each man attempt to
gather his train by lashing those that
did not belong to him, and calling by
name those that did.
When, after much fighting, each had
gathered his own, the actual process Of
feeding began, and this again demanded
much activity and some strategy to in
sure every dog of your train getting it's
portion. never had time to notice how
the Indians did it, but my method was
to run each dog in turn a few yards
from the other three, quickly toss his
meat to him before the others caught
up, and then stand guard over him
while he ate it.
The eating did not occupy much time
there was only a growl, grab, and a
gulp, and the meat was gone.
Itwas necessary to be expeditions, for
the dogs that had swallowed their meat
ran from group to group seeking those
that had not, and woe betide the poor
beast that attempted to masticate his
morsel! Two of my train, Flossie and
Finnette, were very timid, and gave me
no end of bother. It was only necessary
for another dog to start toward them,
and they would drop their meat and
run off. I found it necessary to hold
them by the scuf of the neck while thew
ate, and laid my whipstock over the
heads of the dogs that fought around
me.
Feeding animals in the.Zoo isn't a
circumstance to feeding dogs in the
Barrens.
Our three caribou feast of that morn
lng-our third in the Land of Little
Sticks''-was the last. I like to dwell
on it even now. First the legs of the
caribou were cut off, stripped of their
sinews and flesh, and the bones cracked
open for the marrow; then the heart and
kidneys and two unborn calves: then
the tongues and the eyes and the ears:
and all the while ribs were roasting.
stuck upon sticks about the fire, and a
kettle full of what was left from the
dog-feed hung suspended from tripod
over all. confined myself to the mar
row and ribs, and simply marveled at
the quantity those Indians ate. When
we started on ags:n there was not left
great deal of the three caribou to load
on the sled::es, but the Indians were in
good humor.-Caspar w. Whitney, in
Harper's Magazine.