18 VETERAN BUCK. 



pairing their domiciles, or floating down stream 

 material with which to do so. Now beaver-meat is 

 very nice, particularly when served in the shape of 

 a stew; and the very thoughts of such succulent 

 food caused my mouth to water, by enjoying it in 

 anticipation. My vision of ragodts and pasties, how- 

 ever, was dissipated by the sound of a steady, 

 monotonous succession of splashes. Cautiously I 

 listened, and in endeavouring to turn my eyes in 

 the direction from whence the noise emanated, I 

 nearly screwed my head off; for an awkward or 

 hurried movement might have alarmed the quarry, 

 or exposed my position to an enemy. For a few 

 moments the sounds ceased, but were again re- 

 newed, and I felt convinced more substantial game 

 was now within reach. My anticipations turned 

 out to be correct, for a very large Wapiti stag 

 (Cervus Canadensu) emerged from the cover into 

 the open meadow. Although within easy gun- 

 shot, the handsome creature was quite ignorant of 

 my presence, and unsuspectingly crossed the wet 

 ground, cropping stray mouthfuls of browse from the 

 willow-bushes that chanced to be in his course. The 

 beautiful animal seemed to move with as much 

 indolence, and with as perfect an absence of purpose, 

 as the most thorough exquisite could evince in his 

 dawdle down the Row on a warm day in the height 

 of the season. So little did the beavers regard the 

 presence of the antlered monarch, that they scarcely 

 halted from their occupation for more than a 



