But the first little one dropped his head obstinately at the
tree and stopped short. The next one did the same thing; only he ran
his head into the first one's legs and knocked them out from under
him. The others whirled with a _ba-a-a-ah_, and scampered round the
tree and up to their mothers, who had turned now and stood watching
anxiously to see the effect of their lesson. Then it began over again.
It was true kindergarten teaching; for under guise of a frolic the
calves were being taught a needful lesson,--not only to jump, but, far
more important than that, to follow a leader, and to go where he goes
without question or hesitation. For the leaders on the barrens are
wise old bulls that make no mistakes. Most of the little caribou took
to the sport very well, and presently followed the mothers over the
low hurdles. But a few were timid; and then came the most intensely
interesting bit of the whole strange school, when a little one would
be led to a tree and butted from behind till he took the jump.
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