He had secured one hare, and fired at another, then I saw him start towards me on the run. He had seen the deer almost as soon as I. When he came up, I sent him on, and in a short time he had two of them down, the doe and fawn making off up the foreshore to the west.
It was now just thirty-five minutes since I had landed, and we had two deer and a hare. I sent Egingwah back to Ooblooyah to bring up the dogs and sledges and while he was gone the cry of the purple sandpipers was continuous about me and I saw a white fox skulking along the rocks.
When the boys came up, the tent was pitched near the deer, and convenient to water, and I made coffee.
Then Ooblooyah was sent after the doe and fawn and after photographing the deer, Egingwah and I skinned and cut them up, and fed the dogs generously.
Both were does, neither pregnant, nor very large, and very thin though evidently putting on flesh, the skin of course in bad condition and antlers in the velvet. A very noticeable feature was the length of the hoofs, and the development of the dew claws into regular spoons as large as a hare’s ears, thus giving the deer natural snowshoes, which they need in this country not only for the snow, but for the boggy saturated ground as well, at this time of year.
Some time after the work was completed and I was sitting in the tent reloading my camera, when Egingwah came running to say the doe and fawn were coming back, and regretting that he had no gun. I gave him my revolver which carried the same cartridge as the carbine and told him to try that. Before the deer got in range however, they smelled or heard the dogs, and started off for the little valley again.
Then we saw Ooblooyah returning, and he seeing the deer, ran back and ambushed the doe as she entered the ravine. Hearing his shot, Egingwah went off to him, and at 11 A. M. they were back in camp with the meat of the doe. I had told Ooblooyah to bring the fawn in alive if possible, and being unable to catch it, the boys had left it and the skin of the doe, until they had further instructions.
I had a pot of tea, and another of cooked meat ready, as we had had only our coffee and biscuit since our breakfast thirteen hours before (not that this was a great hardship, but it was enough to give us robust appetites).
Our zest was increased by the fact that for the last five days, we had been living on preserved eggs and mush in order to save the pemmican for the dogs. This is a very good diet in ordinary climates, but by no means takes the place of meat for work under these conditions.
After eating, the two men turned in, but I remained up till 3 P. M. to get a latitude observation. All this time it was calm and brilliantly sunny and warm.