OPEN-GROUND HUNTING 279 



On the whole, the walking in this district was the best I 

 have ever seen in any country where big game are to be 

 found. During three weeks' hunting I never had wet feet, 

 although only shod in ordinary shooting boots. Nor did I 

 ever feel tired, although we had some long days and pro- 

 tracted runs to cut off travelling stags. 



After an excellent dinner, and having deposited all our 

 spare stores under the canoes, the Indians shouldered two 

 huge packs of about lOO lbs. each, and we started up the 

 Kesoquit Hills. The summit of the range was about 400 

 feet above the river, and from this point we obtained a 

 splendid view in all directions except the north. The Tolt 

 and the three hills above Long Harbor were plainly visible, 

 and on this day, one of exceptional brightness, the rugged 

 headland above Belleoram, known as the Iron Skull, was 

 plainly visible. As we " took a spell " I worked the glass for 

 some time, and only found a few small deer. The absence 

 of stags was explained by Steve by the fact that the ground 

 was too full of "tufts," which deer dislike as much as man. 



Then came a walk over an ideal hunting-ground of great 

 rolling corries, intersected by little lakes and marshes, which 

 brought us to the only wood in the district south of the 

 Maelpeg. It is known as Kesoquit " droke." Here for many 

 years has been the hunting quarters of the Johns,^ although 

 it is now abandoned by them, and only the rough log "tilt" 

 being used as a rest-house by Steve Bernard and Micky John 

 on their travels to and fro. The place was a perfect one for 

 a camp, as the wood was full of dry sticks, and there was 

 a small lake at one side. Here one only had to run a 

 few yards to the west where a fine view of one of the 



' The Johns are an old family of Mountaineer Indians which came originally 

 from Labrador. 



