210 THE MOOSE 



scattered in long lines or rose to fly shorewards ; 

 now fearlessly dodging a belated ice-floe fallen from 

 the glacier that tumbled down to the water's very 

 edge in a broad highway leading to the skies. 



It emerged presently on to a flat table-rock, and 

 woke the echoes with a caterwaul so piercingly shrill 

 that the sound penetrated to the forest's heart, and 

 made the energetic little squirrels collecting pine- 

 cones in the long grass drop their spoils and take 

 to the tree-tops. 



Lucivee of the high bluff stood on his table-rock 

 dripping, convinced of his ability to whip his own 

 weight and more. He looked very lithe, and 

 elegant, and graceful, with his peculiar neck-ruft 

 stiffened, and the black pencils of his ears erect. 



A tortured wailing from the thorns, screams 

 growing more desperate as the enemies crept closer 

 to each other down dark tunnels leading to the 

 water made by the small game of all generations. 

 Flies in myriads buzzed around the damp bushes, 

 and infinitesimal midges hung in clouds over rotten 

 tree-stumps, and circled about the nodding moose- 

 grass plumes. 



It took both animals quite an appreciable time 

 to work through the initial stages of the combat. 



