202 HUNTING CAMPS. 



small canoe, I sent the former to paddle down, while I started 

 to walk along the bank of the river. Hardy accompanied 

 me for a part of the way, and we had hardly turned the first 

 bend when I went over the bank to examine a deer road that 

 showed some fresh tracks. As I returned I heard Jack 

 whistle softly. He was in mid-stream pointing down-river, 

 and there, just beyond the bend and hidden from Hardy by 

 an outcrop of boulders, a large stag was in the act of entering 

 the water from the farther side of the river. The instant 

 he knew that I too had seen the stag Jack paddled into 

 cover. Hardy, also catching sight of the stag, crouched 

 among the rocks. 



The stag stood for a moment on the bank. Hardy 

 looked round, and I, knowing the head was a fine one, was 

 glad to see him raise his rifle for what was a longish shot, a 

 little over two hundred and fifty yards. The first bullet 

 hit, and at the second the stag rushed forward into the river 

 hock-high, splashing the water over his back in a grand rush, 

 and within fifty yards fell dead. 



Jack now thrust out into view, waving his paddle, and we 

 ran down the bank until we were opposite the spot where 

 the dead animal lay. Then Hardy, eager to examine the 

 horns of his first caribou, without waiting for the canoe, 

 waded into the stream, which here was about a hundred and 

 fifty yards across. There was no mistake at all about the 

 horns of the stag, which carried a most beautiful palmated 

 head of thirty-three points. Indeed, but for the fact that 

 one brow antler was represented by a spike, the head would 

 lose little by comparison with the best. 



We now hoped that the luck had at last turned, for we 

 had begun to fear we might be obliged to finish the season 

 empty-handed, as neither of us wished to kill the poorly- 

 grown heads which we had hitherto seen. That year of 

 1906 was a less than average good year for horns in New- 

 foundland. Occasional bad seasons are no doubt the result 



