222 HUNTING CAMPS. 



at any rate, it is the material that is now beginning to be 

 used for stuffing life-belts. However, although the law 

 against shooting caribou in the water can hardly apply 

 to a stag walking through shallows that barely cover 

 his hoofs, yet it is well to pay respect to a law in letter 

 as in spirit. 



I waited till the stag had nearly climbed to the top 

 of the bank, and in consequence I very nearly lost him, 

 for he took the crest with a rush ; but just as he topped 

 it a bullet brought him down. He made a dash to 

 re-cross, but fell dead upon a little island of coarse 

 grass. Jack immediately appeared in strong excite- 

 ment, calling out that he had heard the fall of the deer. 

 Our canoe was quickly launched, and we were soon 

 beside its body. I was now convinced that this was 

 the same animal I had seen a fortnight earlier ; there 

 was no mistaking the long, even bays. Besides, the 

 spot where I killed it was scarcely more than half a 

 mile from the place where I originally saw it. The 

 bays measured thirteen and a half inches in length of 

 palmation. 



After gralloching the stag we left it otherwise 

 untouched in order to photograph it on the morrow, 

 and returned to camp, where we spent one of the 

 cheeriest evenings I can remember, in spite of the 

 dismal weather, the wet ground, and the sputtering 

 fire. 



It was while we were at this camp that an Indian 

 appeared, travelling down the bank of the river from 

 the west. After a few minutes' conversation he went 

 on his way, only, however, to return again, this time 

 carrying a caribou head of thirty-one points, which he 

 said he had killed earlier in the year and hidden in a 



