256 



THE SPORTSMAN'S PARADISE; 



the reader a full report of the daily occurrences during 

 our stay in this region, but I shall describe some of the 

 more exciting events which transpired ; and in addition to 

 this, also detail some of the more interesting movements 

 of the game which we were hunting. 



Having sent the hounds into the woods one cloudy 

 morning in company with "Jim," who on this day acted as 

 our starter, I left the camp on the island in the company 

 of the faithful " Tom," who paddled the birch-bark for me, 

 while my son was, as usual, in the canoe with the captain. 

 We expected the deer this morning would take to the water 

 about one mile from our camp, and consequently the 

 canoes were directed towards this point. I had thrown a 

 troll into the water soon after leaving camp, in order to 

 take some fish before the deer should put in an ap- 

 pearance. We listened attentively for the music of the 

 hounds, but not a single note had been heard, when a 

 slight crackling sound, made in the woods near the shore 

 of the lake, attracted my attention. "Tom" had, a mo- 

 ment previously, raised his paddle from the water, and I 

 had already commenced to reel in the long line in order 

 that I might be better prepared for the arrival of the ex- 

 pected game. 



The sounds which I have previously mentioned had not 

 been heard by " Tom," and, in fact, were so indistinctly per- 

 ceptible to my ear as to call forth no comment from me, 

 although my eye was instinctively fixed on that portion of 

 the shore nearest to the point where they had seemed to 

 originate. Scarcely had one minute elapsed since I had 

 heard the crackling sounds in the woods before a large 



