112 NEWFOUNDLAND 



pleased if a' brought out a head like that from the Terra- 

 Nova country." 



Still I thought it best to spare him. "Whistle him up, 

 Bob," I said; "we'll see what he looks like when he holds 

 his head up." My companion whistled once, twice, and then 

 gave a shout. Ye Gods ! what a sudden change from the 

 listless donkey to the alert king of the forest. His head was 

 up in the air now, and he looked totally different ; a fine 

 heavy head, and certainly worth possessing. As I raised 

 the rifle he bolted at full gallop straight away, and I made 

 a very lucky shot as he fled in full career, the bullet enter- 

 ing at the back of his head and causing instant death. He 

 fell so suddenly and with such force that he smashed the 

 lower jaw to pieces and buried the antlers out of sight in 

 the marsh, from which we had to unearth them. Like the 

 other stag this was a very big old beast with a good 

 massive head of thirty-two points. The work of cutting up 

 the deer and preserving the head would occupy some time, 

 so I accompanied Saunders back to camp, and then spent 

 the evening spying from the hillside. 



Just before sunset I saw a fine stag about a mile away 

 across the river. I could see he had grand tops and very 

 thick horns. He wandered into a thick forest, but the time 

 being too late to go for him I returned to camp. 



We were, however, destined to meet later. 



