FOUR MAGNIFICENT STAGS. 365 



I had already shot four fine caribou, and 

 I now only wanted two more — the head of one 

 for myself, and the complete skin of another 

 for our national collection at South Kensington. 



All these four caribou were heavy old stags, 

 and all of them carried such fine heads that it 

 was a difficult matter to decide which were the 

 best. 



They presently got down into a hollow in 

 the ground, and I was able to get quite near 

 them. I might very easily have killed all 

 four of them, as, after the two which I thought 

 were the finest were lying dead, the other two 

 did not run away, but stood stiU, evidently 

 wondering what had happened to their com- 

 panions. 



These caribou had neither smelt nor seen 

 me, and as they had probably never been fired 

 at before, the report of my small bore rifle had 

 conveyed no meaning to them. As soon as 

 I showed myself, and walked towards them, 

 however, they trotted off. 



I must confess that it cost me an effort to 

 allow them to do so, for they carried away two 



