The Moose 247 



In one or two places it broadened into small ponds, 

 bearing a few lily-pads. This meadow had been all 

 tramped up by moose. Trails led hither and thither 

 through the grass, the willow twigs were cropped 

 off, and the muddy banks of the little black ponds 

 were indented by hoof-marks. Evidently most of 

 the lilies had been plucked. The footprints were 

 unmistakable ; a moose s foot is longer and slimmer 

 than a caribou s, while on the other hand it is much 

 larger than an elk s, and a longer oval in shape. 



Most of the sign was old, this high alpine meadow, 

 surrounded by snow mountains, having clearly been 

 a favorite resort for moose in the summer; but 

 some enormous, fresh tracks told that one or more 

 old bulls were still frequenting the place. 



The light was already fading, and, of course, we 

 did not wish to camp where we were, because we 

 would then certainly scare the moose. Accordingly 

 we pushed up the valley for another mile, through 

 an open forest, the ground being quite free from 

 underbrush and dead timber, and covered with a 

 carpet of thick moss, in which the feet sank noise 

 lessly. Then we came to another beaver-meadow, 

 which offered fine feed for the ponies. On its edge 

 we hastily pitched camp, just at dusk. We tossed 

 down the packs in a dry grove, close to the brook, 

 and turned the tired ponies loose in the meadow, 

 hobbling the little mare that carried the bell. The 

 ground was smooth. We threw a cross-pole from 



