THE CHASE. 347 



sportsman. All have recognized the acute senses of smell an 

 liearhig, and so they have acted upon the defective vision, some- 

 times without clearly comprehending why it was that they were 

 required so to act in order to insure success. 



THE MOOSE. 



We have reason to believe that the Indian was not partic- 

 ularly successful in the capture of the Moose with the bow and 

 the arrow. The great size, strength, and endurance of the an- 

 imal rendered it difficult to bring him down with that weapon, 

 unless at very close range, and his ability to detect the least 

 sound, and to notice the least taint in the air, rendered a close 

 approach very difficult. In summer time he was more fre- 

 quently captured in the water. At that season he affects marshy 

 grounds, where lakes and lakelets abound, and into these he 

 plunges to escape the torments of the flies and mosquitoes, 

 deeply immersing himself much of the time, generally with only 

 his nose above water. In this position he could be successfully 

 attacked by the Indians in their canoes, at sufficiently close 

 quarters to make their arrows effective, or they could even dis- 

 able him with blows before he could escape. This was often 

 dangerous sport or business, whichever you please to call it, for 

 a single blow from the antlers or the foot of a moose was suffi- 

 cient to demolish or sink a canoe, when the hunter would be 

 fortunate if he escaped with his life. This mode of pursuit was, 

 however, generally successful, and much meat was obtained in 

 that way by the natives. 



The Moose, and so of the other deer, have their favorite paths 

 or highways in the forests where they abound, and in these they 

 were frequently captured. For this pu)-pose a lasso was cut from 

 the green hide of the Moose, by following round it, cutting wider 

 at the thinner portions, till the desired length was attained. The 

 liair was then closely shaved off, the thong twisted to the proper 

 degree, and then stretched to the utmost, and in this position 

 dried. After this it was made pliable to a certain degree, by 

 working or use, retaining, however, sufficient rigidity for the 

 purpose. This was suspended across a convenient limb, with a 

 running noose at one end, which was suspended directly over the 

 path, abundantly large for the head and antlers of the largest 

 Moose to pass through, but sufficiently high from the ground to 

 obstruct the passage of the feet. To the other end a heavy 



