A CASE OF NERVE. 183 



consider it, could not think otherwise than that 

 it was wonderful. From the place where we 

 stood when he said, "The moose is away," was 

 fully two acres to his lair, so it was impossible 

 he could have seen or heard him go. In fact, 

 he told me he smelt him when he sprang up. 

 This I disbelieved at the time, but in after years 

 had many instances that could not be doubted. 

 Already the dogs were giving tongue down the 

 descent on the other side and as they were bark- 

 ing apparently in the same place the moose was 

 said to be at a standstill. The face of the moun- 

 tain on the other side was wooded with a young 

 growth of trees, in some places growing in thick- 

 ets or clusters. 



The Indian and the men followed me down 

 hill and I approached the place where I heard 

 the dogs, gun in hand. The dogs were, by the 

 sound of their barking, running in on him and 

 taking a nip at each run. After careful peer- 

 ing into the clump of trees I thought I made out 

 his fore quarter and fired. The moose simply 

 sat down and elevated his head until his neck 

 appeared as long as that of a giraffe. I thought 

 this was the forerunner of his tumbling over 

 dead. This, however, was not the case, for the 

 next minute he broke cover and charged straight 

 for where I was standing, a distance of only a 

 few yards. My companions turned and fled and 



