114 HUNTING CAMPS. 



the list of our provisions and arranging them in suitable 

 packs. 



On the i6th, the wind having fallen, we proceeded upon 

 our way and slept that night at my old camping place at 

 Butt's Brook. When I last saw it, the year before, this 

 spot had been very beautiful, but I now found to my dis- 

 gust that a forest lire had devastated the woods, while 

 the underbrush had been reduced to black sticks, which 

 made it impossible to walk in any direction with pleasure, 

 the more especially as the charcoal stained one black from 

 head to foot. The limit of this fire was not reached until 

 we came to Beaver Pond on the high country. 



From Butt's Brook to Millais Lake it was necessary to 

 portage both canoes, for we had brought a second collaps- 

 ible canvas canoe with us. All over this country where 

 previously I had had such magnificent sport we failed to 

 see a single deer, until, on October 2oth, as Wynyard and. 

 I were crossing a barren to look at the skeleton of my 

 largest stag of the former season, a band of seven does, 

 escorted by one small stag, came into view round a drogue. 

 At once they got our wind and dashed away. About four 

 o'clock we reached Simon's furthest camp, and, leaving 

 the men to prepare for the night, Wynyard and I walked 

 out, thinking it might be worth while to look at the car- 

 cases of the deer Simon had killed, in case any of them 

 might have received a visit from a bear, for some few of 

 these animals are to be found among the berry-covered 

 barrens. After visiting the carcases without success, we 

 were returning to camp in the late dusk, when I caught 

 sight of a stag approaching. We lay down, and the stag 

 climbed a knoll within eighty yards of us, where, outlined 

 against the sky, he showed splendidly better, indeed, 

 than he deserved, for he carried but a slight head of less 

 than twenty points. We were uncommonly glad to see him, 

 as, according to reports, he certainly had not been there 



