ON THE GANDER RIVER. 203 



of a severe and late spring, during which the lack of proper 

 food affects the horn growth in its early stages. Thus 1904 

 and 1905 were very lean years, and 1906 not much better ; 

 but in 1907, and more especially in 1908, the milder weather 

 caused the stags to grow magnificent antlers. 



After this Jack and I went on our way, and finally set 

 up our camp about half a mile above Little Gull River. We 

 chose a spot peculiarly suited for September hunting, putting 

 up our lean-to in a little thicket on a promontory, from 

 which we had a view of the river-bed both east and west. 

 On the farther bank a continuous wood of spruce and birch 

 extended for miles, while behind us lay great expanses of 

 young timber interspersed with marshes and barrens. Out 

 of the birch-wood opposite several deer-roads descended to 

 the water's edge, among them some veritable highways, but, 

 as there was no sign of migration, only the few stags that 

 had summered in the vicinity were travelling them. 



The same night, as we were lighting our fire, a young 

 stag of about twenty points walked quietly out of the 

 birches and began to cross the river, but in mid-stream 

 caught the wind of our fire and at once turned and rushed 

 back into the woods. On the following morning we were up 

 at dawn and hunted all day in the direction of Red Indian 

 Lake, but our eyes were gladdened by nothing more exciting 

 than the sight of a couple of does. About four o'clock in 

 the afternoon we climbed up a high hummocky barren, sur- 

 rounded by thick woods, and sat in the warm sunshine 

 smoking our pipes in, it must be owned, a very depressed 

 state of mind. Our eyes ached with staring through the 

 glasses at every patch of grey or white among the green, 

 yellow, and crimson network made by the woods and 

 mosses. 



As evening began to fall I came to the conclusion that 

 the river by our camp would give us a better chance, so we 

 set out on our return, and, contrary to our custom, con- 



