124 NEWFOUNDLAND 



is nothing left but to get up in the middle of the night, 

 rebuild camp in a fresh place, get wet through, and try to 

 be as amiable as possible. On this occasion we were all too 

 tired or sleepy to move, so we lay awake and let the rain 

 come in upon us. My reindeer bag was soon soaked, so I 

 put on my ulster and spent a miserable night in the utter- 

 most corner of the cover sheet. The men also allowed 

 themselves to be soaked, but that being the chronic con- 

 dition of these human seals, they regarded the circumstances 

 without comment. 



The morning broke still and fine as usual, and at very 

 early breakfast we had a pow-wow as to the best course to 

 pursue. I had shot six fine heads, and had no desire to kill 

 any more deer. The main object of my journey had been 

 accomplished, so I decided to return. This was not quite so 

 easy as it sounds, for in spite of last night's rain the river 

 had fallen a foot since we had come to this camp. Never- 

 theless the men said they thought we could get out if the 

 camp and canoes were portaged a mile down stream and 

 over the worst of the stone banks. 



It took all day to get as far as Little Gull River, and 

 then when Little Bob appeared his face was long and aspect 

 gloomy. 



" One of the boats is completely bust up and t'other's 

 cracked, and unless you shoot two more deer to lace the 

 worst one in we'll never get down unless we build a raft and 

 wait for the rain," he said. 



" How far can you get the boats to-night ? " I said. 



" Perhaps another mile," he said ; " but it's bale and 

 shove all the time, and killing work." 



I had no intention of waiting a fortnight or three weeks 

 for rain and rafts, so decided to hunt about and kill two 



