ON THE GANDER RIVER. 217 



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 Newfoundland. Occasional bad seasons are no 

 doubt the result 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. 



