108 FOREST LIFE IN ACADIE. 



flight ; the imitation of a rival bull has brought the moose 

 suddenly round to meet his doom ; and it is a very com- 

 mon practice for the Indian to adopt, when a moose 

 answers but will not come to the call, and he has every 

 reason to believe that he is already accompanied by a cow. 

 A few falls since I was in the woods with a companion 

 and an excellent Indian, who is still at the head of his 

 profession, John Williams. We were in a hunting district 

 not containing many moose, being too much surrounded 

 by roads and settlements, but very accessible from 

 Halifax, and one which would always afford a few days' 

 hunting if the ground had not recently been disturbed. 

 We were not much incumbered with baggage ; the 

 nature of our movements prevented our taking much 

 into the wood beyond the actual necessaries, i.e., a small 

 blanket apiece, which, rolled into a bundle, Indian fashion, 

 and carried across the back by a strap passing over the 

 chest and shoulders, contained the ammunition, a couple 

 of pairs of worsted socks, brushes, combs, &c., and a few 

 packages of tea, sugar, and such light and easily-stowed 

 portions of the commissariat. The Indian carried in his 

 bundle the heavier articles — the half dozen pounds of 

 fat pork, about twice that amount of hard pilot bread, 

 the small kettle with a couple of tin pint cups thrust 

 inside, they in their turn being fiUed with butter, or salt 

 and pepper, or perhaps lucifers — anything, in fact, which 

 could find a place and fit in snugly ; and lastly, and as 

 a matter of course, a capacious frying-pan, made more 

 portable by unshipping the handle. A large American 

 axe, its head cased in leather, passed through his belt, 

 from which were suspended the broad hunting-knife in an 

 ornamented moose-skin sheath, and the tobacco-pouch of 



