A CURIOUS EXPERIENCE 351 



minutes we paddled slowly toward the land 

 ing, but before reaching it we caught his loom 

 in the shadow, as he stood facing us some dis 

 tance down the trail. As soon as we stopped 

 he rushed down the trail toward us, coming 

 in to the lake; and we backed hastily into deep 

 water. He vented his rage on a small tree, 

 which he wrecked with his antlers. We con 

 tinued to paddle round the head of the bay, 

 and he followed us; we still hoped we might 

 get him away from the portage, and that he 

 would go into the woods. But when we turned 

 he followed us back, and thus went to and fro 

 with us. Where the water was deep near shore 

 we pushed the canoe close in to him, and he 

 promptly rushed down to the water s edge, 

 shaking his head, and striking the earth with 

 his fore hoofs. We shouted at him, but with 

 no effect. As he paraded along the shore he 

 opened his mouth, lolling out his tongue; and 

 now and then when he faced us he ran out his 

 tongue and licked the end of his muzzle with 

 it. Once, with head down, he bounded or gal 

 loped round in a half circle; and from time to 

 time he grunted or uttered a low, menacing 

 roar. Altogether the huge black beast looked 

 like a formidable customer, and was evidently 

 in a most evil rage and bent on man-killing. 



