WHERE THE WAYS DIVIDE 227 



Then by a hideous mischance the two parties 

 converged, and the strain was at breaking-point. 

 The young cow, calling on a low, luring note, pre- 

 cipitated matters, for the old bull answered her 

 call. He could not have resisted had a dozen 

 devil-sticks barred the way. 



The fabric of moose family life was snapped at 

 its foundations, and the younger bull prepared for 

 battle. 



Now fight they must for the mastery, or be 

 shamed for ever in the eyes of their enslaver. 



At it they went, hammer and tongs, clawing 

 with razor hoofs, circling round each other on 

 lowered haunches, and legs well spread, hugging 

 the ground, clashing their horns together viciously. 



They fought until they were dripping with foam, 

 and blood flecked their prehensile muzzles, fought 

 until the one-eyed bull ended the business by a 

 terrific drive which sent the point of one of his 

 antlers into the other's unprotected flank. The 

 young one gave in then and retired, grunting, to a 

 thicket. 



The reward of victory — where was she ? 



Just as the cow sought the shelter of a granitic 

 uncrop, overgrown with a mass of devil's club and 



