286 TWO DIANAS IN ALASKA 



in which a wondrous sight met our gaze. There, 

 with the furious light of battle in their eyes, one 

 hundred yards away, stood two magnificent bull 

 moose, glaring at each other a few paces distant with 

 lowered horns, heaving flanks, and steaming nostrils. 

 Scarce a moment they stood thus, and then again in 

 a mighty rush they met with fast-locked horns, the 

 shock of their impact being terrific. Each beast, in 

 crouching attitude, fore-legs close together and hind- 

 legs widely spread, endeavoured by the huge muscles 

 of his hind-quarters to force the other backwards. A 

 fatal moment would it be for either if for an instant 

 he exposed his side to the deadly horns of his oppo- 

 nent. So intent were they upon the combat that for 

 a time they had thrown caution to the winds, and 

 neither animal seemed to heed a greater danger than 

 that which stood immediately in front of him. Both 

 bulls were magnificent specimens of their race, but 

 one carried a pair of horns which were gigantic in 

 size, and far overlapping the spread of the other's. 

 I whispered to Agnes, asking if she would take my 

 rifle, and have a shot, since she had come out with- 

 out her own. She was firm in her refusal to do this, 

 declaring that she had already killed two moose, and 

 I had only one. I proceeded to advance cautiously 

 towards the edge of the clearing, fearing to trust 

 a shot from where we stood, lest the bullet should 

 glance off some of the numerous twigs which screened 

 us from view. I felt sure that the vast bull, which 

 carried by far the largest horns I ever saw, was then 

 as good as mine, for it seemed impossible to miss so 



