172 SPORT INDEED 



camp for dinner. On returning to the bog, I crept 

 into it very carefully, as the breaking of some dry 

 branches assured me the caribou were feeding there, 

 and spent the afternoon in watching the cows as they 

 passed and repassed my place of concealment. As for 

 the bull, the "King of the bog," I saw nothing of 

 him, and giving up all hope of seeing him left the 

 bog at a quarter to five and started for the camp. 



I was walking briskly along — the weather had 

 grown cold enough to make briskness desirable — 

 when I heard a noise in an old logging yard opposite 

 to me. Now, a hunter's ears have need to be sharp, 

 and mine were sharp enough to tell me that either a 

 moose or a deer was behind that noise and to be pre- 

 pared for him. I looked around and, sure enough, a 

 buck was there and making for the woods with leaps 

 that were mighty long and mighty full of lightning. 



I had barely time to say to myself : " Thomas, this 

 is thy deer. Come now, try thy hand at a flying 

 shot." 



To cock the rifle and bring it to my shoulder was 

 the work of a second, and at that particular second 

 the deer was springing over the last log that lay be- 

 tween himself and safety. I saw his " flag " fly up as 

 he took the leap, and fired at the very instant he 

 disappeared on the other side of the log. I supposed 

 I had missed him ; but no ; when I reached the log, 

 there he lay behind it, convulsively giving his last 



