60 THE MOOSE 



river in order to evade the attacks of the persis- 

 tent moose flies, small black atoms, with venomous 

 bites, and were standing deep in a pool churned to 

 mud by the constant delving of the cow among the 

 lily roots, when the wind brought an untoward 

 scent. What it was and where it came from they 

 never knew, but it brought them out of the water 

 hot- foot. 



Between the sombre hemlocks they glided swiftly, 

 their usual shambling walk changed to a lurching 

 trot. Suddenly the cow, leading, pulled up short, 

 colliding with the yearling following close upon her 

 heels. The calf, a few yards behind, turning from 

 a trail into the cover, looked ahead inquisitively. 



A prehistoric-looking monster blocked the centre 

 of the bush track, carrying his short neck horizon- 

 tally, lower than his elevated withers, a massive 

 beast, like but unlike the cow moose. Something 

 of her build there was about him, but beside this 

 bulk she seemed a small thing indeed. A head of 

 great narrowness and length terminated in the 

 familiar overhanging muzzle ; small eyes looked out 

 from well-known sunken depths ; but the unex- 

 plainable something the moose cow lacked was 

 there in all its glory. Antlers ! enormous and 



