102 HUNTING CAMPS. 



" There is a big stag, Mr. Prichard, crossing the 

 ' mesh ' ! " 



We were at this time encamped in a drogue of consider- 

 able Si#e.:t;iat reached -down to the shores of the inevitable 

 " pond." All about it lay a wide network of marshes much 

 grown : over , ^yitji "tnat wonderful soft reindeer moss and 

 patched with coarse, yellowish grass. 



" Stag's nearly past," added Jack, panting. 



No time remained for dressing, so, pulling on a pair of 

 Eskimo boots and a coat, in the pocket of which were some 

 cartridges, I picked up the Mannlicher and followed at 

 speed in Wells' tracks. We were soon at the outskirts of 

 the drogue, and there, sure enough, in the wake of a band 

 of does, was what appeared to be a fine stag. 



As far as my experience goes, there are few things harder 

 to judge at a distance than the size of a caribou head. 

 For, firstly, antlers are likely to look very much larger 

 carried grandly on the live animal than they sometimes turn 

 out to be afterwards, when the deer lies on the ground ; 

 secondly, the angle at which one happens to view the head 

 is a matter of importance, for it looks infinitely better from 

 some points of view than from others. 



The stag I am writing of seemed a very fair one ; the 

 wind was favourable, the only difficulty being the fact that 

 he had already passed and was travelling at good speed over 

 the moss and grass. We waited until he was screened by 

 one of those small spinneys to which the stalker in New- 

 foundland owes so great a debt, and then we commenced to 

 run. Owing to my having had no time to put on the stock- 

 ings and vamps that are worn with Eskimo boots, these 

 latter were very uncomfortable, and finally came off in some 

 soft ground, sending their wearer head-foremost into a 

 shallow hole full of ooze ! 



But to return to the day's routine. After breakfast 

 was over I usually took my rifle and, with Jack or alone, 



