breaking out early the next
morning, we passed up the ice of Porter Bay to its head, then, taking to
the land, crossed the five-mile-wide isthmus which separates Porter Bay
from the head of James Ross Bay. Every foot of this route was familiar
to me and rich with memories. Reaching the other side, we descended to
the ice again and made rapid progress along the western shore. The dogs
were lively and well-fed, trotting along with tails and ears erect; the
weather was good, and the sun, now low on the horizon, cast long,
fantastic shadows on the ice from every man and dog.

Suddenly the quick eyes of Egingwah spied a moving speck on the slope of
the mountain to our left. "_Tooktoo_," he cried, and the party came to
an instant standstill. Knowing that the successful pursuit of a single
buck reindeer might mean a long run, I made no attempt to go after him
myself; but I told Egingwah and Ooblooyah, my two stalwart, long-legged
youngsters, to take the 40-82 Winchesters and be off. At the word they
were flying across country, eager as dogs loosed from the traces,
crouching low and running quickly. They took a course which would
intercept the deer a little farther along the slope of the mountain.

I watched them through my glasses. The deer, when he caught sight of
them, started off leisurely in another direction, looking back every now
and then, suspiciously alert. When the deer halted suddenly and swung
round facing them, it was clear that they had given the magic call
taught by Eskimo father to Eskimo son through generation after
generation, the imitation call at which every buck reindeer stops
instantly--a peculiar hissing call like the spitting of a cat, only more
lingering.

The two men leveled their rifles, and the magnificent buck went down in
his tracks. The dogs had been watching, with heads and ears erect; but
at the report of the rifles they swung sharply to the shore, and the
next instant we were hurrying across the rocks and over the snow, the
dogs dragging the sledges as if they had been empty.

When we reached the two hunters they were standing patiently beside the
deer. I had told them not to disturb him, as some good photographs were
desired. He was a beautiful creature, almost snow-white, with
magnificent branching antlers. When the photographs were taken, all four
of the men set to work, skinning and cutting him up.

[Illustration: FAMILY GROUP OF PEARY CARIBOU (RANGIFER PEARYI), ARRANGED
BY "FROZEN TA