A HUNTER'S METHOD OE TOTING DEER 



317 



its back and sides, and when I asked 

 why he did not pull it head first with 

 the lay of the hair, he simply looked 

 ashamed, and said, "That's so. I didn't 

 think about it." 



I then showed him how easy it would 

 be the way I suggested, and also how 

 much better still it would have been had 

 he cut down a long sapling, fastened the 

 deer securely to it ; raised up the end 

 with the head over his shoulders and 

 dragged it along behind him. In this 

 way he would only have the end of the 

 stick and perhaps the hind quarters of 

 the animal touching the ground. 



"Do you think the two of us can carry 

 that buck three miles?" ventured Jim, 

 who was evidently waiting for me to 

 break the silence, now that 1 had seen 

 the animal, and who fully expected that 

 I would back down. 



"Why, certainly. You and I can do 

 that easily, and will arrive in camp fresh 

 for supper," was the answer. 



"All right. I suppose I'll be in a fit 

 condition to lay in camp all day to-mor- 

 row whether I want to or not," was 

 Jim's martyr-like consent. 



My companion was set at tying the 

 legs of the deer together, while I cut 

 down a birch sapling some three inches 

 in diameter and about ten feet in length. 



A birch tree was chosen because it is 

 clean and springy, and being tough 

 grained a lesser size can be used than 

 would be necessary with some other va- 

 rieties, the extra weight of which count 

 for much on a long carry. 



This completed, the pole was pushed 

 between the legs, now tied together at 

 the knee joints, and the head of the ani- 

 mal secured by rope close up to the car- 

 rying pole. 



It is an advantage to get the animal 

 in as compact a mass as possible, for in 

 going through dense bush every addi- 

 tional foot of burden you have to push 

 and guide through the maze of branches 

 the harder it will be on the carriers ; and 

 if the body of the deer is well lashed to 

 the pole and as close up to it as possible 

 the less strain there will be when you 

 get into step in the open or when climb- 



ing over obstructions, getting up or 

 down hills, or crossing streams on a 

 fallen tree. It is in such places that the 

 pendulum-like motion becomes a nuis- 

 sance, but which is readily overcome by 

 seeing that the animal is bound close to 

 the carrying pole. 



"Now, Jim, let's make a start!" This 

 brought my mate to his feet. He sur- 

 veyed with anxious face the hill before 

 us, and without a word took hold of the 

 front end of the pole. 



"Up it goes," and with a swing the 

 pole found a lodging place on our shoul- 

 ders. Picking up our rifles, we com- 

 menced the ascent of the hill, and made 

 a good half a mile before a rest was 

 called, though we "change shoulders" a 

 couple of times on the way. 



It is a peculiar fact that some men 

 carry best on the right shoulder, others 

 again prefer the left and will not carry 

 on any other. It is the same with the 

 front and rear positions. One man will 

 tell you that he must be ahead to "pick 

 the trail," while a second will say that 

 he plays out at once if he is not in the 

 rear. 



It is a repetition of the old adage : 



"Jack Spratt could eat no fat, 

 His wife could eat no lean," etc. 



and it is well it is so in some cases, but 

 decidedly inconvenient in others, partic- 

 ularly if two men find themselves to- 

 gether wdth the same desires or prefer- 

 ences. 



Starting again, we made good time 

 for two miles, and then the halts got 

 more frequent, the shoulders were 

 "changed" oftener, but camp was 

 reached without any special complaint 

 from my companion. He had evidently 

 made up his mind to retrieve his past, 

 and push ahead no matter how tired he 

 felt ; but that night when it came to the 

 usual frolic after supper, Jim was not in 

 evidence. He had stretched himself on 

 his bunk and was soon fast asleep. The 

 exertions of the day had done their 

 work, and sleep was giving its recupera- 

 tive balm to the tired body. 



The next day I deemed it best to ask 

 another member of our party to assist 



