120 HUNTING CAMPS. 



head with large and beautifully palmated antlers may be 

 inferior as a weapon to a lighter and more easily wielded 

 growth. 



I cannot think there is much danger to either com- 

 batant, except at the moment of defeat, when the 

 victor makes his rush at his opponent's flank. Indeed, 

 it is probable that nearly all the encounters which end 

 fatally do so because of the locking of the antlers, 

 when, unable to free themselves and consequently 

 unable to feed, the unfortunate combatants starve 

 to death. It is by no means an uncommon thing to 

 find dropped horns interlocked in this way. But, on 

 the other hand, all horns sold interlocked need not 

 necessarily have been so locked in fight, for with a little 

 force and the help of the fire and manipulation it is 

 said to be possible to lock two pairs of antlers artificially, 

 and I believe cases of this kind are not unknown. A 

 good quartette of locked antlers are readily sold for as 

 much as $50. 



After the battle was over we went on our way and 

 hunted down towards the lake, and while we were 

 watching the large marsh near the lake head two stags 

 began to cross it in our direction, but neither was 

 worth shooting, and although all day long we continued 

 to see both does and stags in some numbers, none of the 

 latter pleased us, and we ultimately got back to camp 

 with clean rifles. 



In the course of ten hours we had seen no less than 

 eighteen stags, and were naturally in good spirits ; nor 

 had we any doubt but that the next few days would 

 bring each of us, as Wells said, "alongside" the big 

 stag we desired. 



On the following day Jack and I went a long 



