ATTACK OF A MOOSE. 81 



" all to pieces. But," he added, " I never saw such 

 pluck in a dog before. As soon as he found I was 

 ready for a fight he was furious, bleeding as he was, 

 to be after the bear. I told him we would have the 

 rascal, if we died for it ; and away he jumped, leav- 

 ing his blood on the snow as he went. ' Hold on,' 

 said I, and he held on till I came up. I took aim at 

 his head, meaning to put the ball in the centre of his 

 brain ; but it struck below, and only tore his jaw to 

 pieces. I loaded up again, and fired, but did not kill 

 him, though the ball went through his head. The 

 third time I fetched him, and he was a bouncer, I tell 

 you." " But the dog, Cheney," said I ; " what 

 became of the poor, noble dog ?" '' Oh, he was 

 dreadfully mangled. I took him up, and carried him 

 home, and nursed him. He got well, but was never 

 good for much afterwards — that fight broke him 

 down." I asked him if a moose would ever show 

 fight. '' Yes," he said, '* a cow moose, with her calf; 

 and so will any of them when wounded or hard 

 pushed. I was once out hunting, when my dog 

 started two. I heard a thrashing through the bushes, 

 and in a minute more I saw both of them coming 



right towards me. As soon as they saw me they 



4* 



