104 HUNTING CAMPS. 



the outskirts of the drogue, and there, sure enough, in 

 the wake of a band of does, was what appeared to be a 

 fine stag. 



As far as my experience goes, there are few things 

 harder to judge at a distance than the size of a caribou 

 head. For, firstly, antlers are likely to look very much 

 larger carried grandly on the live animal than they 

 sometimes turn out to be afterwards, when the deer 

 lies on the ground ; secondly, the angle at which one 

 happens to view the head is a matter of importance, for 

 it looks infinitely better from some points of view than 

 from others. 



The stag I am writing of seemed a very fair one ; the 

 wind was favourable, the only difficulty being the fact 

 that he had already passed and was travelling at good 

 speed over the moss and grass. We waited until he 

 was screened by one of those small spinneys to which 

 the stalker in Newfoundland owes so great a debt, and 

 then we commenced to run. Owing to my having had 

 no time to put on the stockings and vamps that are 

 worn with Eskimo boots, these latter were very uncom- 

 fortable, and finally came off in some soft ground, 

 sending their wearer head-foremost into a shallow hole 

 full of ooze ! 



But to return to the day's routine. After breakfast 

 was over I usually took my rifle and, with Jack or 

 alone, set forth and spent the day hunting, sometimes 

 seeing the stags on the open barrens, sometimes follow- 

 ing them into the woods, in the sunny spaces of which 

 they loved to lie and enjoy their rest. At midday we 

 had our lunch of tea, bread, and smoked trout, and then 

 hunted till dark, often making our way back to the 

 camp by moonlight, to find the evening meal waiting 



