was sure
of the place he meant to fire. But when he saw the creature as a dusky
moving form through the twigs, he awaited a better view, which came,
and he had almost pulled the trigger when his hand was stayed by a
glimpse of red, and a moment later out stepped--Chaska.

"Chaska," Yan gasped, "I nearly did for you."

[Illustration]

For reply the Indian drew his finger across the red handkerchief on
his brow. Yan knew then one reason why a hunting Indian always wears
it; after that he wore one himself.

One day a flock of prairie-chickens flew high overhead toward the
thick Spruce Woods. Others followed, and it seemed to be a general
move. Chaska looked toward them and said, "Chickens go hide in bush.
Blizzard to-night."

It surely came, and the hunters stayed all day by the fire. Next day
it was as fierce as ever. On the third day it ceased somewhat, and
they hunted again. But Chaska returned with his gun broken by a fall,
and after a long silent smoke he said:

"Yan hunt in Moose Mountain?"

"No!"

"Good hunting. Go?"

Yan shook his head.

Presently the Indian, glancing to the eastward, said, "Sioux tracks
there to-day. All bad medicine here." And Yan knew that his mind was
made up. He went away and they never met again, and all that is left
of him now is his name, borne by the lonely lake that lies in the
Carberry Hills.

[Illustration]

VI

[Illustration]

"There are more deer round Carberry now than ever before, and the Big
Stag has been seen between Kennedy's Plain and the mill." So said a
note that reached Yan away in the East, where he had been chafing in a
new and distasteful life. It was the beginning of the hunting season,
the fret was already in his blood, and that letter decided him. For a
while the iron horse, for a while the gentle horse, then he donned his
moosehide wings and flew as of old on many a long, hard flight, to
return as so often before.

[Illustration]

Then he heard that at a certain lake far to the eastward seven deer
had been seen; their leader a wonderful buck.

[Illustration: "Seven Deer, ... their Leader a wonderful Buck."]

With three others he set out in a sleigh to the eastward lake, and
soon found the tracks--six of various sizes and one large one,
undoubtedly that of the famous Stag.

How utterly the veneer was torn to tatters by those seven chains of
tracks! How completely the wild paleolithic beast stood revealed in
each of the men, in spite