MOOSE HUNTING. 101 



ness and caution with which we stopped and dropped when 

 the quick eye of the Indian detected him, and partly to 

 the haziness of the atmosphere. His distance was about 

 ^ve hundred yards, and he was standing directly facing 

 us, the wind blowing from him to us. After a little de- 

 liberation, Joe applied the call to his lips, and gave out a 

 most masterly imitation of the lowing of a cow-moose, to 

 allure him towards us. He heard it, and moved his head 

 rapidly as he scanned the horizon for a glimpse of the 

 stranger. He did not answer, however ; and Joe said, 

 as afterwards proved correct, that he must have a cow 

 with him somewhere close at hand. Presently, to our great 

 satisfaction, he quietly lay down in the bushes. " Now we 

 have him,'' thought I ; " but how to approach him ? " 

 The moose lay facing us, partially concealed in bushes, 

 and a long swampy guily, filled up with alders, crossed 

 the country obliquely between us and the game. We 

 have lots of time, as the moose generally rests for a 

 couple of hours at a time. Slowly we worm along to- 

 wards the edge of the alder swamp ; the bushes are pro- 

 vokingly short, but the mist and the dull grey of our 

 homespun favour us. Gently lowering ourselves down 

 into the swamp, we creep noiselessly through the dense 

 bushes, their thick foliage closing over our heads. Now 

 is an anxious moment — the slightest snap of a bough, the 

 knocking of a gun-barrel against a stem, and the game 

 is off. 



" Must go back," whispered Joe, close in my ear ; 

 " can't get near enough this side — too open ;" and the 

 difficult task is again undertaken and performed without 

 disturbing the moose. What a relief, on regaining our 

 old ground, to see his great ears flapping backwards and 



