350 A BOOK-LOVER'S HOLIDAYS 



shore. I had heard of bull moose, during the 

 rut, attacking men unprovoked, if the men 

 were close up, but never of anything as wanton 

 and deliberate as this action, and I could hardly 

 believe the moose meant mischief, but Arthur 

 said it did; and obviously we could not land 

 with the big, evil-looking beast coming for us 

 — and, of course, I was most anxious not to 

 have to shoot it. So we turned the canoe 

 round and paddled on our back track. But the 

 moose promptly turned and followed us along 

 the shore. We yelled at him, and Odilon struck 

 the canoe with his paddle, but with no effect. 

 After going a few hundred yards we again 

 turned and resumed our former course; and as 

 promptly the moose turned and followed us, 

 shaking his head and threatening us. He 

 seemed to be getting more angry, and evidently 

 meant mischief. We now continued our course 

 until we were opposite the portage landing, 

 and about a hundred yards away from it; the 

 water was shallow and we did not wish to ven- 

 ture closer, lest the moose might catch us if 

 he charged. When he came to the portage 

 trail he turned up it, sniffing at our footsteps 

 of the morning, and walked along it into the 

 woods; and we hoped that now he would be- 

 come uneasy and go off. After waiting a few 



