had not then turned
upon them.

The reindeer has large lungs, and so swims high on the water. He is not
only able to use his antlers, but can turn while swimming and kick most
viciously. A wolf can only swim like a dog, and as his head is so low
he cannot make much of a fight. And so here the boys had the rare sight
of seeing a couple of deer chasing with great delight four of their most
dreaded foes on land.

They passed across the bows of the boat near enough for them to see
quite distinctly the deer suddenly give a spurt and then strike the
wolves with their great horns. Every effort of the wolves to attack
seemed to meet with complete failure, until at length their only
ambition seemed to be to reach the shore, and in this way two were
successful. The deer succeeded in drowning the other two.

The victory of the deer over their cruel and relentless foes gave very
much delight to the Indians as well as to Frank, Alec, and Sam, and it
was decided not to fire at the beautiful creatures, but to leave them to
enjoy their victory.

After several days more of travel and varied adventure they reached the
trading post and Burntwood River, and shortly after started off to Lake
Wollaston, as the hunters had reported the reindeer were there in great
herds. To that place they now travelled in birch canoes, and in them
the boys were much happier, than in the big boats in which, with the
company's goods, they had travelled from Norway House.

They saw traces of bears, beavers, wild cats, and other animals; but
they were after reindeer, and just now cared but little for any other
kinds of game. At a camp fire, where they were having supper, the old
Indian who had been appointed captain on account of his experience in
this kind of hunting gave the boys some instructions how to act should
they discover a large herd. He told them it would not be very difficult
to get within range of one or more of them, but they were to crawl up as
close to the herd as possible on the leeward side, and there, from their
hidden places, watch them until they saw the great one that was the
leader of the herd. They would not have any trouble to pick him out.
They would soon see how he bossed the rest, and was always at the head
when the herd moved.

What they were to do was to keep moving along with the herd, skulking
from one rock to the shelter of another, and, taking advantage of every
inequality in the ground, to get within range of th