OR, THE LAKE LANDS OF CANADA. 193 



short distance of the last feeding-ground, while in this in- 

 stance the snow had disappeared within the hour preceding 

 our arrival on the trail. 



The captain having familiarized himself with all these 

 peculiarities of the trail, speedily and forcibly enjoined upon 

 us the necessity of moving forward with the greatest de- 

 gree of caution, lest by a careless step a noise might be 

 made which would frighten away the game that we now 

 sought. We are now in a high state of excitement. The 

 grandest game in the Canadian forest is now abnost within 

 our reach. Our hearts are beating strongly ; hope buoys us 

 up ; the long tramp of the day is forgotten ; we feel no 

 fatigue and fear no failure. The captain creeps along 

 through the brush, over the fallen trees, over the rotten 

 twigs, which are frequently so well hidden by fallen leaves 

 as to be wholly imperceptible, but there is no sound pro- 

 duced by his movements. He trails game as cautiously as 

 the cat follows the mouse. The sportsman who attempts 

 to follow him should keep well in his rear, but within easy 

 hearing distance, so that in the first instance the game may 

 not be frightened by a mis-step, and secondly that he may 

 be able to come quickly into position when shooting is to 

 be done. 



Having spent about two hours on this moose-trail, 

 which was at first very circuitous, but which finally lost 

 much of this peculiarity, we were reluctantly compelled to 

 halt in order to make the necessary preparations for 

 spending the night ; we therefore encamped on this trail, 

 with the intention of following it up in the morning. The 

 first thing done was the selection of a suitable spot on 



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