88 NEWFOUNDLAND 



shot he " skipped," and I felt sure he was fatally hit. This, 

 however, was not the case, but as he galloped across my 

 front, looking quite happy, I fired again and knocked him 

 head over heels with a bullet through the shoulders. The 

 other deer now seemed to lose their heads, and ran around 

 in the most stupid fashion. Even when we went up to the 

 fallen stag, they behaved altogether as no other deer do 

 when frightened or suspicious. The stag was a fair-sized 

 beast, but had rather a poor head, which I had mistaken 

 for something better, seeing it only on the sky-line ; a mistake 

 all stalkers may make at times. Yet I wish now I had not 

 killed him. Saw thirty-five deer to-day. 



During the next few days I did nothing but explore and 

 map the country, and make a few sketches of the new ground 

 and lakes to the north-west. Sometimes we slept out at night, 

 taking Jack to carry my bed, and making a shelter of spruce 

 boughs. The men seemed quite merry and happy now, as 

 long as they had a good fire of birch and plenty to eat. They 

 had got over the idea that I wanted to shoot a big stag every 

 day, and were now content to wait for the good ones when 

 they should make their appearance. Altogether we had a 

 very jolly time, and Little Bob told me stories of his early 

 days which I was never tired of listening to. 



Saunders' father had been the master of a little brigantine, 

 which he had built himself down at Green's Pond, Bonavista 

 Bay. With this little vessel he went every year to the seals, 

 and did pretty well till one fatal spring when the boat got 

 caught in the ice, and was driven ashore at Point o' Feather, 

 Harbour Grace; but Saunders can tell his own story in 

 briefer and more picturesque language than I, so I give it 

 in his own words. 



