MY SPORTING HOLIDAYS 



of view was eminently satisfactory. The idea of an 

 ambush was not contained in the seal's philosophy. 

 The expected event occurred, in this instance, exactly 

 as anticipated. As the canoe approached the far end 

 of the pool, the seal dived back through its depths, 

 and his head quietly reappeared at my end of the pool 

 again, some 200 yards from the canoe, but within 

 20 yards of where I sat, rifle in hand, under the leafy 

 shadow of the bank. The next moment a rifle bullet 

 pierced that same round head, and the seal was mine. 

 We easily retrieved the great body in the shallow at the 

 foot of the pool. I took the skin and gave the body 

 to the Indians, who hung it in a tree for future use. 



The afternoon was now getting on, and we began 

 to search for a suitable camping-place. This at first 

 appeared no easy matter. The dense forest on each 

 bank, thick with undergrowth, was dripping wet from 

 rain, and also required clearing in order to pitch the 

 tent. Poling up the next rapid, we presently came 

 to a high sand-bank clear of trees and brush, and 

 evidently above the line of any ordinary autumn flood. 

 The weather obligingly cleared for an hour before 

 sundown, and we managed to pitch the tent on the 

 highest part of the sand-bank, and make a most com- 

 fortable camp. The sand did not hold the moisture, 

 and gave excellent bedding-ground. Indian woodcraft 

 soon lit a fire from the inside chippings of fallen tree- 

 trunks, and fried trout, tinned beef, and biscuits, 

 afforded an excellent supper. 



Next morning we were early astir. I continued the 

 journey up the river in the canoe with rod and rifle, 

 leaving the engineer to go after wild-duck with dog 

 and gun downstream, arranging to meet at the tent 

 at nightfall. The Indians accompanied me on what 

 proved to be a day of thoroughly varied sport. Every 



