IN TIMBER AND BRttLfiE, 223 



impossible to say. Very likely not, yet we walked back 

 to camp without any stirring of forgiveness in our minds 

 towards the over-energetic cook and his companion. 



It may be said that failure is the salt of sport, but salt 

 alone makes a poor meal, and luck at this period really 

 seemed to have deserted us. Search as we might, we saw 

 no more caribou until, coming reluctantly to the conclusion 

 that these most elusive animals had moved on elsewhere, 

 I began to turn my eyes towards England, where it was 

 absolutely necessary that I should arrive by a certain date. 

 Owing to carelessness I had been under the impression 

 that the steamer by which I meant to travel started on a 

 Saturday, which would leave me just enough time to make 

 my way out from Lac Brulee by forced marches. The 

 particular piece of country through which we had to pass 

 was unknown to any of us, so that when I suddenly, through 

 the medium of an old newspaper, discovered that my steamer 

 left on the Friday afternoon, we lost no time in breaking 

 camp, and by two o'clock set out to strike the nearest trail 

 to civilisation. The first part of our way led us along a 

 portage through a belt of green wood, the very portage upon 

 which the Frenchmen were working when their return to 

 camp proved so disastrous to our hopes. 



About four o'clock, when it was rapidly growing dusk, 

 Ed, who was leading along the side of the knoll, suddenly 

 threw down his pack and pointed across the valley. " A 

 caribou stag, and a good head on him. I saw the top half 

 of his horn as he moved," he said. The place indicated 

 was about three-quarters of a mile away. Telling the 

 Frenchmen to set down the canoe and to wait for us until 

 either we returned or they heard a shot, we ran down the 

 hill and along a narrow savanne in the direction of the cari- 

 bou. It is wonderful the pulsing of the blood and the vigour 

 that the knowledge of game in sight can bring. Speaking 

 for myself, I know that a moment before I had been wearily 



