CHAPTER VIII 



THE FOREST KING 



" Here's a deer whose skin's a keeper's fee." 



As the spring merged into warm summer days, 

 the moose flies wakened to vigorous hfe, and kept 

 their prey standing for hours at a time in deep 

 water ; and from this safe retreat — since he could 

 not sleep all the hours away, or everlastingly drag 

 up lilies by the roots — Moosewa watched the life 

 of the wilderness unfold. All sorts of hitherto 

 unnoticed phases of existence obtruded themselves, 

 little comedies that in other circumstances might 

 have escaped observation. 



Just over his head a marten was rearing her 

 family in the nest of a squirrel, callously murdered 

 to make room for the usurper's domestic needs. 

 Whenever he looked up into the wide-armed 

 branches the moose saw two beady eyes watching 

 his every movement, and sometimes, as the marten 

 came down the tree, liolding on to the bark with 



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