DOWN THE ATHABASCA. 25 



than once the trail was lost in the windfalls and jungle, 

 but at length, getting another side view, I shot her 

 through the heart, bringing the noble beast with a thud 

 to the ground. Nothing had been seen of the calf since 

 the beginning of the hunt, but going back to the shore to 

 get assistance, I found that the men had captured and 

 made it a prisoner beside the canoes. Taking charge of 

 the captive myself, I sent the men into the woods to skin 

 the deer and "pack 15 the meat out to shore. The little 

 calf, which I held by the ear, was very young, and not 

 at all wild. Indeed, though I let go my hold, the little 

 creature did not care to go away, but kept on calling for 

 its mother in such a pitiful way that it made me 

 heartily sorry for having bereft it. After the space of 

 an hour or so my brother and the men returned, well 

 loaded with fresh meat and a fine moose-hide. The meat 

 was placed in sacks and stowed away in the canoes, but 

 the hide being heavy and of little value to us, was placed 

 on a big stone in the sun to dry and await the ownership 

 of the first Indian who should pass that way. 



As it was now nearly noon, it was decided to take 

 dinner before re-embarking, and while the cooks were 

 devoting" their attention to bannocks and moose-steaks 



o 



my brother and I were debating as to what we should do 

 with the calf. We had not the heart to deliberately 

 shoot it, but were unable to take it with us alive, as we 

 would like to have done. Through a suggestion of one 

 of the men a happy alternative was decided on. Other 

 moose were doubtless in the vicinity, so that the calling 

 of the calf would likely attract some of them, and in the 

 event of this taking place it was said that the little moose 

 would attach itself to another female. With the hope 



