8 TRAVELS IN THE EIGHTIES. 



trunk of a tree, from which she gazed for a considerable 

 time in the direction in which I was crouching with- 

 out daring to move. She then became convinced that 

 some danger was threatening her and started off, but 

 stopped once more for an instant just on the crest of a 

 hill, as deer often do, giving me time for a fortunate 

 shot in the neck. As this occurred on what was not 

 our ground, and as the steamer was to pass early the 

 following morning, I felt in considerable difficulties 

 how to secure the venison. Having struck upon the 

 little harbour where the steamers call, more by good 

 luck than anything else, just before dark, I fortu- 

 nately found one of our own men from Strom there 

 with the sledge in which he had brought my luggage, 

 and by promising him a share of the venison I induced 

 him to accompany me about midnight, with the sledge, 

 and to promise not to mention the fact to the others. 

 After a long search we at length succeeded in finding 

 the quarry, which I had covered with boughs of trees 

 to keep off birds of prey. 



We might have been spared the trouble, as old 

 Christopher did not call me in time either for this or 

 the next steamer the following morning. A terrible 

 revenge was wreaked upon him for the same offence 

 on another occasion by two sportsmen, for they blew 

 him up with gunpowder placed at the back of the grate. 

 It seems that they had both been seized with the same 

 idea, and, unknown to each other, had both placed 

 powder there. The result was an explosion that kept 

 the family occupied for some days in a series of minor 



