TWO DIANAS IN ALASKA 279 



I was walking slowly in front carrying a small 

 rifle, whilst Ralph brought up the rear with a Mann- 

 licher slung across his back. Suddenly we emerged 

 into one of the numerous open glades of the forest 

 which are bare of trees, where nothing save tundra 

 and dwarf bog-myrtle flourish, and there, standing 

 in full view, at less than a hundred paces, on the 

 opposite side of the clearing, a noble bull moose was 

 apparently listening intently, possibly having heard 

 our distant footsteps. 



It required but a second for me to hold up a 

 ringer to warn Ralph that there was game afoot, and 

 gently stepping backwards I bade him advance to 

 where he could get a good view of the animal. 



In moving slightly forward, intent on unslinging 

 his rifle, Ralph unfortunately trod upon a small stick, 

 which broke with a resounding crack. This noise 

 immediately disturbed the moose, since it is seldom 

 that a wild animal thus breaks a twig when moving 

 at its leisure through the Alaskan forests, and this 

 fact is all the more remarkable when we consider the 

 enormous weight of such huge beasts as the moose 

 and bears which inhabit those regions. Although I 

 have watched for hours the movements of these 

 creatures of the wild, even at close quarters, I have 

 seldom heard them crack a twig unless scared into 

 moving at a high rate of speed owing to the approach 

 of danger. 



As soon as this old bull heard the snapping of 

 that stick he commenced walking slowly towards the 

 cover of the trees, and Ralph, realizing that he must 



