IN TIMBER AND BRtfLfiE. 225 



but, running round to get a clear view, I saw he was still 

 on his feet, so I fired again, when the animal fell. 



He had been standing broadside on, with the head 

 slightly turned, when I fired the first shot, which I after- 

 wards found had hit him in the neck. When he dashed 

 forward my attention had been fixed upon making sure 

 of him, so that, beyond the first glance which showed me 

 that his left horn was well developed, I had given no more 

 thought to his head. As he fell we both ran up. He lay 

 upon his right side quite dead. Ed seized his horn to turn 

 him over, and then for the first time we became aware that 

 the right antler was missing, though the left was still quite 

 firm. 



As the date was the ist of November it was unlucky 

 that he had dropped his horn, though occasionally it happens 

 that caribou, and especially the larger stags, lose their 

 antlers by this date. This is, however, a matter both of 

 individual and seasonal variation, as in most years these 

 Canadian deer retain their horns as late as the 20th and even 

 the 25th of the month, though by that time it is probable 

 that the really fine heads, which are always the first to be- 

 come clean of velvet, have fallen. Of course in the present 

 instance we were bitterly disappointed, but there was no 

 help for it, and the trophy would at least serve as a memory 

 of the trip. 



Having skinned the stag, we once again crossed the 

 river and continued our journey. It was almost dark 

 when we struck the waters of the river, and as we had 

 been informed that we should meet with no quick water on 

 our homeward journey, we concluded that we might safely 

 push on after dark. As a matter of fact, until half-past 

 ten that night we continued to strike rapid after rapid, 

 several of which, in the obscurity, necessitated wading, 

 so that it was an uncommonly chilly party which finally 

 built a large fire upon the bank, round which we crouched 



8 



