AND KAYAK 163 



going in twos and threes to the top of the 

 nearest hill, to watch the sled track for the 

 homecoming of the scouts. The real hunting 

 does not begin till Easter Tuesday, for such 

 is the custom that the people have made for 

 themselves, and no man would dream of 

 stopping away from the special meetings in 

 the church during Easter week for the sake 

 of hunting deer ; but so eager are the men to 

 have everything ready, and so full are they 

 all of the talk of the coming of the deer, that 

 before Easter several of the hunters will 

 certainly go out as scouts to spy out the land, 

 and to bring back reports of the likelihood 

 of a good hunt. 



The later Easter comes, the more likely 

 are the scouts to go ; and when I missed this 

 or the other familiar face among the men, and 

 asked, " Where is So-and-so ? " I was certain 

 of the answer, " He has gone a-scouting." 

 These scouts do not often bring home any 

 meat : they have done their part if they 

 bring home some sort of a report, whether 

 it be " I saw no deer yet," or " I have seen 

 tracks : they seem to be near," or, best of 

 all, " I saw three deer in the distance : I 

 think those are the leaders of the herd." At 

 the report of deer tracks the excitement bubbles 

 over into energy. Men stand grouped round 



