HUNTING, 169

At times, the réle of the hunter will be reduced to finding and slyly
dispatching a practically helpless victim, as is the case with hibernating bears.
If the animal be of the smaller or black species, it is generally dislodged
irom its lair by specially trained dogs acting as ferrets, and then killed with
any weapon at hand. Many a valuable hound, however, has found death in
the sombre recesses of bears’ retreats, thus paying for his audacity with his life.

But it sometimes happens that Bruin stubbornly refuses to be forced out
of its refuge by humbler animals, which it can so easily lay low. The action
of fire and smoke is then resorted to, always with the most satisfactory results.
When the game is a grizzly, the Indians must have recourse to some stratagem,
in order to protect their own lives against its well known ferocity. ‘After
disvovering its lair, the natives carefully measure its opening. Timbers of the
requisite length, and from four to six inches in diameter, are carefully cut,
and carried to the vicinity. During the day, when the bear is known to have
returned to the cave, the Indians collect in large numbers, and approach with
the utmost quietness, each carrying a timber or a large stone. The timbers
are then fitted into the mouth of the den, forming a barricade, and stones
in large numbers are piled against them, only leaving an opening about a
foot square. Burning brands are then thrown in to arouse the animal, who
puts its head out of the opening, which is too small for egress. A volley of
balls soon puts an end to its existence’.

Such are the precautions with which, according to Dall himself, whole
bands of Indians approach “brown” bears, even when captive.

The Chase.

Chasing large game, cariboo, moose, deer or bears, is also a frequent
occupation of the Dénés. Their power of endurance on these occasions is
truly wonderful. Over the hard snow of the late winter, they glide with aston-
ishing velocity by mount and vale, at times using their snow-shoes as regular
skates over which they rush down the declivities of their fully country, and
finally catch up with the game.

In mid-winter, hunting moose or other venison game over deep snow
freshly fallen is considered child’s play by our people. Its tracks are imme-
diately detected and easily followed, while its escape is hardly possible owing
to the great weight of its body, which makes it sink uncomfortably at every
step, when it soon becomes tired out and practically helpless against its better
equipped pursuer. Moose or cariboo will sometimes show fight under these
circumstances; but it is no match for the wily aborigine.

During the summer, moose and deer are occasionally chased over the
water. Mounting their light canoes, the natives then feel so sure of their prey
that ney will not waste their ammunition on them. They soon OycMale the

* «Travels on the Yukon”, pp. 138—34.