slowly and quietly, especially in a canoe, they 

 show little fear of man. Last summer, as I stole 

 down the thoroughfare into Matagammon, a 

 cow moose and her calf loomed up before me 

 in the narrow stream. I watched her awhile 

 silently, noting her curious way of feeding, 

 now pulling up a bite of lush water-grass, 

 now stretching her neck and her great muffle 

 to sweep off a mouthful of water-maple leaves, 

 first one then the other, like a boy with two 

 apples ; while the calf nosed along the shore 

 and paid no attention to the canoe, which he 

 saw perfectly but which his mother did not 

 see. After watching them a few minutes I 

 edged across to the opposite bank and drifted 

 down to see if it were possible to pass with- 

 out disturbing them. The calf was busy 

 with something on the bank, the mother 

 deep in the water-grass as I drifted by, sit- 

 ting low in the canoe. She saw me when 

 abreast of her, and after watching me a 

 moment in astonishment turned again to her 

 feeding. Then I turned the canoe slowly 

 and lay to leeward of them, within ten yards, 

 watching every significant motion. The calf 



