292 NEWFOUNDLAND 



"hummel," or "nott," as these hornless stags are called in 

 Newfoundland. He was an immense beast, quite the largest 

 stag I saw on this trip, and did not appear to have a vestige 

 of horn or even the knobs which denote the presence of 

 pedicles. In Scotland the "hummel" is generally the master 

 of any horned stag, and few can withstand him ; but in this 

 case the hornless stag hung around for more than two hours, 

 watching an opportunity to dash off with some of the does, 

 but without success, for the horned master seemed to inspire 

 him with considerable fear. Next morning he had gone. 



The perfect Indian summer continued as we started on 

 our return journey to Shoe Hill Ridge. It was a hot day, 

 and the men seemed to feel their heavy packs for the first 

 time. We had passed several small troops of deer, and 

 were making our way over the land bridge between Kes- 

 kitpegawi and Tamnapegawi, having almost reached the spot 

 where we had left the head of the thirty-nine pointer, when 

 Steve, who was in front at the moment, suddenly stopped, 

 looked up, and said, " Haliboo — steks — haskajit " (Deer, a 

 stag, a very big one). 



I looked, but could see nothing but some horns sticking 

 out of a small forest of dwarf spruces about 200 yards away. 

 Thinking that Steve was playing some joke because the 

 horns were lying on one side, like those of a dead stag, I 

 sat down and pretended to have been taken in, laughing 

 the while. But Steve was serious, and the glass showed 

 at once that the horns were of great size, and, by their 

 colour, like those worn by a living deer. We left the packs 

 and crept within 100 yards. The stag was either dead or 

 dog-tired and fast asleep, for nothing moved when I whistled. 

 I now made a mistake and went up to within 50 yards, 

 always a foolish thing to do, as the close proximity of 



