The Great Deer
Deer used to be plentiful in New-Caledonia. There are still many "gadins" (deer in local language) in the bush, but the following story, still told by some people from the bush, would be hard to believe today. The tale is said to have been initially told by Gelin. He was famous for telling incredible stories. However as for many Gelin's tales, they are incredible for people not knowing the New Caledonia bush.
In the bush in those times, hunting was first of all done to feed the family. Meat of the young deer was much preferred than the one of older bigger deer, although the antlers of a big male were always attracting to hunters. However then, a male of such a size, nobody had ever seen one like this. All were talking about it with admiration and with some awe too.
It was a very tall, huge deer which had always deftly escaped hunters and their tricks. Imposing, he was intimating the hunters dogs and even their masters. He was fast running and would disappear as suddenly as he would appear. He had become a myth. He was inhabiting the central ranges in deep valleys surrounded by steep narrow ridges. He was just named the "Grand Cerf".
One day hunters decided to organize a big hunting party to, at long last, get him. They had left before dawn horse riding, full of hope but also apprehending the encounter because, with such an extraordinary deer, they sometimes wondered whether it was a real one.
After many hours of riding along old kanak paths, they entered in the Great Deer territory. They had seen many other deer along the way but they had no interest in them, they wanted just the Great Deer.
And suddenly, at a path corner, one advanced hunter saw him. The deer defiantly looked at the hunter from all his height and vanished. However, this time, he could not avoid all the many hunters. Some were were still riding on a ridge above. They saw the deer bouncing in the small valley. One of them was a fast and sharp shooter, but hunters in the bush are all fast and sharp shooters. He jumped from his horse, put a knee on the ground and, at more than 100 yards, with one only shot of his rifle "Savach 30-06", stopped the deer at full speed. He fell on the ground. A second shot finished him.
All looked at each other, unbelieving. It had been so fast. The Great Deer was now dead near the creek. Without a word they all got on their horses backs and went down in the valley. When they arrived, the deer was looking even larger and taller. For the first time they spoke to ask what would be their horse strong enough to carry him. They then put the deer on their strongest horse and started again riding along the creek, still not talking. They had the feeling to have made a sacrilege.
Then the first one in the column halted. Without a word he was pointing his finger to the above ridges. What they saw then they could not believe, they thought it was a dream and they still think it was. Hundreds of deer stood on the ridges, all impeccably aligned, side by side. Never the hunters had seen so many.
Immobile, indifferent to hunters, head high up, all these deer had their eyes on the great deer across the horse. The hunters then realized that these deer stood to attention. They were giving the last homage to the one which had been their chief. All along the path in the valley and until they left it, they felt the weight of all these eyes staring at them.
Never the hunters came back in this valley.
Warning : Who has not seen the great herds of deer of these times could be unbelieving. But he should avoid to try to share his doubts with hunters of this party. They would not tolerate that anyone could tarnish the Great Deer memory.