184 7HE GREAI DENE RACE.

venatorial ethics prevent any one from enjoying the fruits of his own exertions,
if he be in the company of a fellow tribesman. In that sense W. F. Wentzel
was right when he wrote that “when an Indian kills an animal, it is not his
own, for he receives the smallest share’! In the east this is divided among
the band to which the successful hunter belongs. But in the far west the latter,
after having skinned it while warm over a bedding of coniferous boughs,
neatly carves it up, and hangs the whole in the branches of a tree. Then, on
his return home, he will say to the person he intends to favour: “In such and
such a spot of the forest I have killed a deer, a moose, etc. for you. Go or
send for it’.

This generosity is, however, more apparent than real, the object of such
bounty being expected to return the compliment as soon as convenient.

Likewise, within the Mackenzie district, when two or more Indians work
a single beaver lodge, the one who draws the game out gives it to some of
his companions.

Speaking of carving game, the great traveller, Huc, wrote that “tous
les Mongols connaissent le nombre, le nom et la place des os dans la char-
pente des animaux’’*. This is as true of the Dénés. Even a child seems to
be au fait with the anatomy of the animals, and finds the joints without the
least difficulty.

An important point of the Déné hunter’s etiquette is to minimize the
result of his labours. If questioned on his success, he will invariably try to
make it pass for a failure, or, at all events, he will depreciate it as much
as possible. Therefore, the eastern Déné who returns from the chase and may
be eagerly scanned over for a drop of blood that will betray his success to
women or children who are probably starving, will almost infallibly tell them
at first that luck has been against him. Then after having thawed himself
out in silence by the fire-side, he will take out of his bosom four or five
cariboo tongues, and direct the now overjoyed women to go for the carcasses
of the animals®, Likewise, his western brother who returns from a trapping
expedition will always try to make it appear that he brings no furs, when
his wife is fairly well loaded with the spoils of beaver and other game, or
that he has hardly secured any when, in fact, he has met with notable suc-
cess. Pride seems to be at the bottom of these little tricks. They are tanta-
mount to saying: this may be something to others, but for such a hunter
as myself it does not amount to anything.

* Les Bourgeois du Nord-Quest, vol. 1, p. 89.

® Souvenirs d’un Voyage, vol. 1, p. 347.

* The direction to take is indicated by means of sticks planted in the snow at con-
venient distances, the breaking of shrub tops or tree branches, the blazing of tree trunks, etc.