90 THE DEER FAMILY 



Two years later, on Reed Pond, in the same Munsun- 

 gan region, Mr. Green called a moose not intending to 

 kill, since he had killed his bull several days before. 



" Just after the third call," he says, " there came a 

 curious, soughing sound apparently miles away, some- 

 thing like the puff of a locomotive heard far off through 

 the woods on a clear, still night — a sort of ' o-o-o-f.' 



" William whispered : ' That's a bull.' Pretty soon 

 the noise came again and yet again, and each time 

 more distinctly. Then it seemed to grow fainter and 

 louder by turns, but always coming from the same di- 

 rection. Then the ' o-o-o-fs ' ceased and presently we 

 heard an oddly ludicrous sort of whine. * He's got a 

 cow with him calling him back,' says William. This 

 was a new feature in my experience, and gave zest to 

 the episode. Pretty soon it was time to call again, and 

 the sonorous tones rolled out from William's mighty 

 chest. This started the bull again, and his answers 

 were prompt and vigorous. Nearer and nearer he 

 came until he reached the edge of the lake. 



" When there he paused as if to lend one ear to the 

 jealous remonstrance of his consort, while he listened 

 with the other for the inviting temptations of novelty. 

 All at once — for another twenty minutes had passed, 

 and William's custom is to call strictly on time, even 

 when the bull is close at hand — the horn gave forth a 

 different note from anything I had ever heard, a long- 

 drawn coaxing whine that suggested the ' m-i-a-o-u-w ' 

 of an amorous tomcat projected through a megaphone. 

 Again the bull moved toward us and stopped just 

 within the circling cover of the woods. Then William 

 filled his hat with water and slowly poured a stream 



