210 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. 



rienced. The novelty of the scene, the deep roar of the bull 

 echoino- from hill to hill, the death-like quiet, and then the tre- 

 mendous rush of the powerful creature, as he caught the sound 

 of the Indian's call, wrought me up to a pitch of curiosity which 

 was almost past bearing, and more than once did Howard pull 

 me down, as I attempted to peer over our palisade. I was soon 

 happily relieved by the bull Moose bursting forth into the open 

 space before us. He gazed round, and throwing back his heavy 

 antlered head, sent forth a roar that made me clutch my rifle 

 with redoubled vigor. Echo after echo answered the cry, until 

 it died away in a faint and distant whisper ; then, to my sur- 

 prise, another roar — which appeared quite near us — burst upon 

 our ears. I looked at the bull licfore us — for a moment he 

 stood, his head bent in an attitude of great attention ; but as 

 soon as the bellowing was renewed, he uttered a shrill cry, and 

 dashed the dry leaves and dust over his back, and almost in- 

 stantly another bull rushed into the open. Adella's call had been 

 most lucky in luring two rivals for this shadow of a mate. I 

 might moralize upon this — many a ]3oi)r devil has been cheated 

 with a worse imitation — but such is not my province. It was a 

 noble sight to look upon these two majestic creatures, in the 

 gray and silvery moonlight, surveying each other like two forest 

 champions, measuring each other's power. They stood near 

 seventeen hands, and their many-tined antlers spread at least six 

 feet in the span. Not long did they dally — a few preliminary 

 shakes, as inany scrapings of the dirt, and they dashed forward 

 with a force and energy that would have surprised the oldest 

 Spanish bull-fighter. I now pitched my rifle to my shoulder, 

 having recovered from the surprise, but Adella held my arm, 

 and signing me to be quiet, seized one of the small branches of 

 our ambush, and throwing himself on the ground, commenced 

 worming himself up to the Moose, who appeared pretty equally 

 matched. Howard and myself, with our rifles firmly grasped, 

 watched with much anxiety the motions of the Indian, and more 

 than once I was inclined to risk a shot at the struggbng ani- 

 mals. At length Adella, having got within reach of his prey. 



