MOOSEWA^S DEATH 241 



it almost covered him, and he felt the cool lave of 

 it on his hurt. There he lay wallowing. 



A moose cow loomed on the shore, unwieldly 

 and inelegant, with a tiny calf sauntering beside. 

 She drank deeply, and the little one breathed upon 

 the water as though to discover of what this wealth 

 of liquid was composed. At intervals the cow 

 raised her square wet nose and called to the bull 

 on a peculiar note, not loud, but very penetrating. 

 The urge in it lured him from the pool, grunting 

 his pleasure, and at a slow pace, still limping slightly, 

 the dripping beast, with great swelling shoulders, 

 hunched and deformed-looking, walked across the 

 open patch fringing the forest belt. 



Someone fired at him, and he staggered to the 

 shot, but did not fall. With a tremendous effort 

 he made for the timber line and gained it. 



All pretence at scientific stalking abandoned, the 

 two English sportsmen, who had so bungled their 

 extraordinary chance of the night before, rushed 

 after the moose at a speed which was rather re- 

 markable, considering the setbacks. 



Tracking was difficult, for there were but few 

 guiding signs. Scarcely a blood-spot was visible, 

 as is the way with wounds inflicted by any of the 



31 



