226 SPORT IN NEWFOUNDLAND 



could hear nothing, but Steve's hearing was 

 marvellously acute. Sitting down on a big 

 rock, I got the rifle ready and laid it across my 

 knees. Presently I heard a crackling and 

 breaking of branches quite close by, when a 

 noble-looking stag walked out into the open 

 and without looking round or ahead crossed 

 the sandy beach down to the edge of the lake 

 not thirty yards away. We were both in full 

 view, but alas, though his body looked enormous 

 his head was a very poor one, not more than 

 twenty points. He never saw me but bent his 

 head, had a long drink, then looked round for a 

 couple of minutes and walked quietly back into 

 the wood. What would I not have given for 

 my camera ! a more perfect picture could not 

 be imagined. Though a gentle breeze was 

 blowing, fortunately in the right direction, there 

 was not a ripple on the waters of the sandy bay, 

 which was sheltered by the wood, and as he 

 stood with his head up and every line of his 

 body reflected in the water below, it was a 

 noble sight, such as one could but rarely hope 

 to see. 



Allowing some ten minutes to elapse we 

 followed him through the wood, more out of 

 curiosity than anything else. Coming out on 

 to an open grassy plain, there he was feeding 

 quietly about 200 yards away. Looking 



