AFTER MOOSE. 225 



The first of July found Dyche at Warren, Minne- 

 sota, where he met a hunter and Indian trader with 

 whom he had been corresponding. This man, Brown, 

 was not only a hunter, but also a naturalist and a 

 close observer, and he was therefore a most valuable 

 companion. While they were preparing for the trip 

 into the swamps Brown told Dyche much about the 

 mosquitoes, and these stories were so extravagant 

 that the naturalist was disposed to look upon them 

 as largely fiction, but he afterwards found, to his sor- 

 row, that no stretch of the imagination could equal 

 the reality in this case. 



A few days were spent at Warren in buying an 

 outfit of horses and a light wagon. Just as they 

 were ready to start for the swamps, Loughridge, a 

 rancher who lived at the end of the road towards Thief 

 Lake, came to their camp. He was an old friend of 

 Brown's and he asked the hunters to drive a team of 

 mules which he was sending home. He wished the 

 two men to care for the animals. They were 

 willing, and he insisted that they should make 

 his ranch their headquarters while they were in the 

 country. Loughridge gave them explicit directions 

 about the road and suggested that they stop the first 

 night at the ranch of a Norwegian named Goshens, 

 who lived about a day's travel from Warren. 



As evening approached they began to look for Go- 

 shens' place and inquired of the Norwegians whom 

 they met, but found that the English language was 

 an unknown quantity in that region. At last they 

 met a bright-looking young fellow and asked for 

 Goshens. A stupid look rested on his face for an 



