398 AUDUBON 



proached the spot too near; and as turning on snow-shoes 

 is not an easy operation, we were content to let him 

 alone, and try to find one in a better situation for cap- 

 ture, knowing that if we did eventually secure him, he 

 would probably, in the struggle injure himself too much 

 to live. I have good reason to believe that the only 

 practicable mode of taking them uninjured, except when 

 they are very young, is, when they are exhausted and 

 completely defenceless, to bind them securely, and keep 

 them so till they have become pacified, and convinced of 

 the uselessness of any attempt at resistance. If allowed 

 to exert themselves as they please, they almost always 

 kill themselves, as we found by experience. 



On the following day we again set out, and coming 

 across the tracks of two young bucks, which had been 

 started by the Indians, we pursued them, and in two or 

 three miles, overtook them. As it was desirable to ob- 

 tain them as near the camp as possible, we attempted to 

 steer them that way. For a while we succeeded very well 

 in our scheme, but at last one of them, after making many 

 ineffectual attempts to get another way, turned upon his 

 pursuer, who, finding himself not very safe, felt obliged 

 to shoot him. His companion, who was a little more 

 tractable, we drove on a short way, but as he had con- 

 trived to take many turnings, he could approach us on 

 his back-track too swiftly, so that we were compelled to 

 shoot him also. We "dressed" them, taking with us 

 the tongues and muffles, which are considered the most 

 delicate parts. 



We had not walked more than a quarter of a mile, 

 when we perceived some of the indications before men- 

 tioned, which we followed for half a mile, when we came 

 across a yard, and going round it, we found where the 

 Moose had left it, though we afterwards learned that we 

 had missed a fine buck, which the dogs, however, discov- 

 ered later. We soon overtook a female with a young one, 



