246 CAMP-FIRES OF A NATURALIST. 



his pleasure. Shortly after midnight Dyche was 

 aroused by a strange noise, but the barking of a fox 

 and a spirited conversation between two owls was 

 all that broke the stillness, and he dropped back to 

 sleep again. An hour later he was wakened by 

 Brown, who was crawling out of his blankets. 



"Get ready," came in an excited whisper from 

 Brown. 



" What for?" was the sleepy response. 



" Don't you hear that noise? A big moose is corn- 

 ing." 



The word " moose " fully aroused Dyche and the 

 hunters prepared for action. The bull came on, 

 making a great noise with his grunting and thresh- 

 ing, but after he came within fifty yards of the hunters 

 he refused to come farther and remained just within 

 the thicket and out of sight, all the while keeping up 

 his noise. It was very aggravating for the hunters 

 to sit all night in the cold, waiting for the moose to 

 come into sight, and then, just when daylight ap- 

 peared, to have him retreat to the place whence he 

 came. They got into the boat, much dejected, and 

 returned to the home camp, where a good night's rest 

 placed them in condition for another trial. They 

 spent the day in going up and camped at the head 

 of Moose Calf Lake, as the place had been named 

 by Brown in honour of Dyche 's adventure with the 

 calves. 



They pushed on up the stream all next day and 

 went much farther than they had ever been before. 

 When evening came they allowed the boat to drift 

 with the sluggish current and floated in this lazy 



