"I'll be damned," said David Exell when he came upon his 50-year-old family heirloom stashed in the bushes just a few yards from the south shore coastline in Devonshire.

The four foot totem pole was chipped and frayed, but in pretty good shape considering seven weeks on the lam.

Someone inexplicably stole the family heirloom from the junction of Berry Hill Road and Relative Row in Paget — ripped it right from its foundation and made a clean getaway.

An immigrant from western Canada named Bob Jones put it there in the 1950's as a tribute to his native ancestry and his growing family living in Bermuda. And now finally, this piece of very personal history is reunited with people who miss it. Mr. Exell said: "I think it's fantastic for the family, the grandchildren. I've got a granddaughter who lives in the area who doesn't know the road without a totem pole. And my aunt out in western Canada will be ecstatic to know her husband's totem pole has come home."