146 A BRUSH WITH A CARIBOU 



breech action of my rifle failed to work, and encumbered with my 

 load I tripped and fell prostrate over the trunk of a fallen tree. 



It seemed to me that the animal could not make out clearly what 

 I was ; at all events in this inglorious attitude I sustained his 

 charge. Happily his fury was vented on the canvas bag on my back, 

 which was torn to ribbons, and he passed over me with parts of it 

 attached to his antlers. Like Fit z- James I arose unwounded but 

 breathless. I now succeeded in getting open the breech block. 

 The frenzied stag was once more lowering his head and blustering 

 about, confronting me in a menacing posture. Pawing up the soil with 

 his great splayed hoofs, his sides heaving, jets of steam rising from 

 his nostrils through the frosty morning air as he snorted defiance, 

 mane bristling, and green eyes snapping with rage, he presented a 

 fine picture of the very incarnation of evil fury. Had I allowed him 

 this time to get past my guard, the result w r ould almost certainly 

 have been fatal to me. Nerved by the peril, I took a steady aim at 

 the shoulder ; at the same time I ran towards the spot. The stag 

 reeled to and fro, sometimes falling on his knees, and at last plunged 

 wildly forward and fell full length on the blood-stained moss. So 

 ended the career of this vindictive and resolute beast. Then indeed 

 I lived some of those moments which repay the hunter for long days 

 of hope deferred and unrequited toil if indeed he needs any repay- 

 ment, and does not find life in the Candian forest a sufficient reward 

 in itself. For the antlers secured were no mean prize, and their 

 brown curves still lead memory pleasantly back to the glowing coals 

 of the camp fire in the scented pine woods with ' Lucivee Dick ' 

 drawing at a well-seasoned clay pipe recounting his yarns of hard- 

 ships and triumphs of the chase, and of the wild beasts of the forest 

 and their marvellous ways, for all of whom he evidently had a loving 

 sympathy. For instance, he discussed the short temper of my very 

 pugnacious friend by the remark that he had evidently been deposed 

 and driven out of some herd by the master bull, and was soured by 

 solitary habits ; further that caribou differ as widely as men in 

 courage and boldness and at times like human beings go stark rav- 

 ing mad. I generally assented with approval to ' Lucivee Dick's ' 

 conclusions, and in this instance made no exception ; for otherwise 

 how could I account for the extraordinary boldness of a deer whose 

 conduct is generally characterized by fits of stupid tameness or 

 equally stupid panic ? 



