224 A SPORTSMAN'S EDEN. 



was young, before Nature had time to do more 

 than put force into her models, ere yet she had 

 leisure to smooth down their outlines. 



There was a flash, a sharp report, a huge form 

 dead on the snow, and the latest invention of 

 man, a 450 express, had killed one of Nature's 

 first-born, and after all, when we came alongside, 

 the head was so poor that but for the dim light 

 and the distance, even after my nine hours' chase, 

 I would gladly have spared my bull to roam on 

 many a day through lake-land and pine-forest. 



I think Jocko said it was nine miles home 

 rrom the point at which I killed my first moose ; 

 but to me it seemed as if hardly two hours 

 elapsed before it was again dawn and we were 

 again on the war-path. There was a grand old 

 bull amongst the gang I had tracked yesterday, 

 and I meant to have one good head as reward 

 for the long days I had spent amongst the snows. 



I won't recount our second day's wanderings 

 amongst dark balsams and by frozen lakes 

 favourite fighting-grounds of the moose in the 

 early autumn but hurry on to late afternoon. 

 We are amongst the balsams. Jocko's face is quite 

 drawn with excitement. I am trembling with 

 fatigue. Suddenly he stops, carefully dusts the 

 lock and hammers of my rifle, which he has been 

 carrying for some time past, and then ; though he 



