254 The Wilderness Hunter 



dissembled its feelings, for it promptly fell on the 

 unfortunate new-comer and killed it before it could 

 be rescued. 



During the rut the bulls seek the cows far and 

 wide, uttering continually throughout the night a 

 short, loud roar, which can be heard at a distance 

 of four or five miles; the cows now and then re- 

 spond with low, plaintive bellows. The bulls also 

 thrash the tree trunks with their horns, and paw big 

 holes in soft ground ; and when two rivals come to- 

 gether at this season they fight with the most des- 

 perate fury. It is chiefly in these battles with one 

 another that the huge antlers are used; in contend- 

 ing with other foes they strike terrible blows with 

 their fore hoofs and also sometimes lash out behind 

 like a horse. The bear occasionally makes a prey 

 of the moose ; the cougar is a more dangerous enemy 

 in the few districts where both animals are found 

 at all plentifully; but next to man its most dreaded 

 foe is the big timber wolf, that veritable scourge 

 of all animals of the deer kind. Against all of these 

 the moose defends itself valiantly; a cow with a calf 

 and a rutting bull being especially dangerous op- 

 ponents. In deep snows through which the great 

 deer flounders while its adversary runs lightly on 

 the crust, a single wolf may overcome and slaughter 

 a big bull moose ; but with a fair chance no one or 

 two wolves would be a match for it. Desperate 

 combats take place before a small pack of wolves can 



