128 Sport and Life. 



he was at an angle and about forty-five yards off, I pulled a trigger. On 

 feeling the ball he gave a plunge and jump and stood still ; on getting the 

 second barrel he jumped and wheeled round and went ten yards back, and 

 stopped. I put my right hand into my coat pocket for another cartridge. 

 It was empty. I had taken them out when I laid down the previous 

 evening and forgotten them in the morning, gross carelessness, I admit. 

 I ran for my rifle, which was loaded, leaning against a log about ten yards 

 off. The moose now saw me, and trotted off the way he had come ; I had 

 just time to fire my rifle before he turned into the woods. Loading my 

 gun, I now went down to where the animal had landed, which was at an 

 old logging road ; there were his tracks, plain enough, but no blood. 

 Good gracious, I thought, can it be possible that I have only slightly 

 wounded him, and may lose him after all. The thought was too possible 

 to dwell on. A little further on I detected some spots on the crimson 

 leaves of some young maple which seemed of a deeper shade than the 

 rest of the leaves. Then, a few paces further a pool of blood ! Now, it 

 is a mistake to press even a mortally wounded animal ; I knew also that 

 Joe, on hearing the shot, would very soon be on the spot, moreover,, his 

 assistance would be useful in tracking the animal, so I went back to where 

 I had fired, and, on coming out of the woods, the first thing I saw was 

 Joe's face, which was a picture a picture of expectation, delight, and 

 anxiety. Well, I took him to where I had left the trail. " Moose not 

 get far, Joe, see froth on blood ; shot through lungs." In about 200 

 yards he came on the beast lying down. He staggered to his feet and 

 glared at us, when I gave him a finishing shot. I had hit him every time 

 behind the shoulder ; but moose at this season, old Indians say, are very 

 tenacious of life, and will often go some way, unless their backs or necks are 

 broken, or their hearts pierced. " His horns bigger than the last moose," 

 said Joe. " Well, we will soon see," I said. " Out with the tape." On 

 his producing a 5ft. tape, I directed him to place the end on the widest tip 

 of the horns on one side, and, taking the reel, proceeded to unwind it so 

 as to place the tape on the opposite tip. I was within an inch or two of 

 the opposite prong when there was a check in the reel. I glanced down ; 

 the tape was too short ! A 6o-incher at last! The correct measurement 

 was 5ft. xiin. across the horns, and the animal stood 19! hands at the 

 shoulder. 



We afterwards saw where he had come down the lumber road, probably 

 from over two miles off, but as I ceased to call at 9.30, on coming near 

 and hearing no further calls he turned into the forest, and lay down until 

 he heard me call at daylight, about 250 yards from him; this goes to 



