534 



RECREATION 



Such perseverance must ultimately 

 meet with success, and it sometimes 

 comes with a rush, and at a time when 

 the rifle is resting- in the hollow of the 

 arm, as it would in a holster from 

 which it is seldom removed. 



Just imagine for a moment, a morn- 

 ing in November; the gray eastern sky 

 just light enough to pick out a place for 

 your feet ; a high hill in front with a 

 small frozen marsh at its base. The hill, 

 and all around, is free from timber, ex- 

 cept burnt stumps and fallen trees, with 

 the hard Laurentian rock prominently 

 sticking out between them everywhere. 

 No trail marks out the way you are go- 

 ing, but the two Chippewa Indians 

 lead the way with as much precision as 

 if they were on a surveyed line, with 

 stakes set in to point out the direction. 

 As you walk along, not a word is ex- 

 changed, and there is scarcely any 

 noise to break the stillness. Suddenly 

 the leading Indian stops, his left hand 

 lifted, and instantly a white flag zig- 

 zags up the slope. The three of us fire 

 together, and keep pumping lead until 

 the animal reaches the top of the hill. 

 There on the sky line he stops, as if to 

 study what has made all the. noise, 

 while the Indian says to the "big gun" 

 man, Shoot ! The latter fires a shot 

 with as much deliberation as possible, 

 and the Indian without speaking a 

 word sets off up the slope on the run. 



He is half way up the hill when a move- 

 ment attracts our attention about fifty 

 yards away, and there .behind two trees 

 is another deer. It evidently smells 

 danger at the same moment, and makes 

 off around the base of the mountain. 

 Two shots from as many rifles 

 quickly follow, and the game is on 

 its back. 



Soon all are talking, and many are 

 the question asked why the last animal 

 should remain so close to us, and not 

 move, while ten or more shots should 

 be sent at its fleeing companion. The 

 conclusion we came to was that it was 

 a "fool deer.'' 



By and by we see the Indian on the 

 sky line making signals to come up. 

 When we reach him, he points out the 

 first deer lying across a log, shot 

 through the lungs. It is put out of mis- 

 ery at once, and we resume our course, 

 well satisfied with our luck. 



We had many other pleasurable inci- 

 dents during the hunt of 1904, such as 

 getting a photograph of a live buck; 

 shooting two moose, and taking part in 

 a scouting expedition to a new hunting 

 ground. 



These, however, are stories in them- 

 selves, and I shall have to write again, 

 giving details of these interesting epi- 

 sodes, thus renewing the pleasures of 

 the chase in the company of those who 

 care to follow me. 



