Moose 185 



that way looking for axe handles, and heard the mall-carrier 

 shouting for help. Instead of going to him they ran back to 

 camp in great fear. Crete picked up a rifle and went with the 

 foreman as fast as possible. They heard the mail-carrier as 

 soon as they came within half a mile. When near enough he 

 shouted, *'A Moose has me up a tree." They came close 

 and saw it was a cow Moose. She would neither go away 

 nor charge. Indeed, she paid little attention to the new- 

 comers. The foreman, Jean Basquin, walked up to within 

 twenty yards and shot her. 



The mail-carrier said that he came on the cow suddenly. 

 She was alone, but came running toward him squealing. Her 

 mane was up and she seemed to be threatening him. He had 

 nothing but a hatchet, so he ran for a tree, and happened to find 

 one leaning so much that he could walk up. She followed him 

 within touching distance all the way, but did not strike at him. 

 The tree at the highest point was only lo feet up. Here the 

 man sat, the Moose below. She could easily have struck him, 

 but made no attempt to do so. There she stayed watching 

 him; her mane bristled all the time. When she heard the other 

 men coming she merely turned her head, but during the three 

 hours she kept the man up that tree, she did not leave the spot 

 for a moment. 



After skinning her carcass a very unexpected condition 

 was brought to light. Evidently she had been attacked by 

 a bull Moose a few days before. The horns had pierced 

 her left side in five places. Inflammation had begun and 

 matter had formed in four places. She must have been 

 suffering great pain, and would probably have died before 

 long. They couldn't make out why she should go to the 

 man, but it is quite sure she wasn't there to do him any 

 harm, for she had every opportunity to do so and did not 

 strike at him even once. 



This instinct when in deep trouble or flying from great 

 danger, to blindly trust another power, that may not be friendly 

 but certainly is superior — to seize on the one remaining hope — 

 is as deep-rooted as it is remarkable. We see signs of it 



