MOOSE-CALLING. 109 



otter or mink-skin. Our suits were all of the strong grey 

 homespun of the country, an almost colourless material, 

 and on that account, as well as for its tendency to dry 

 quickly when wet, owing to its porosity, very valuable 

 to the hunter as a universal cloth for every garment. 



Thus accoutred, we marched through the forest in file, 

 laying down our bundles now and then to follow recent 

 moose-tracks which might cross our path, and to ascertain 

 the whereabouts of the game with regard to the barrens 

 towards which we were wending our way with the object 

 of calling the moose. The previous night had been 

 passed under the shelter of a grove of enormous hem- 

 locks, where we had halted on our journey from the 

 settlements, night overtaking us. All night the owls had 

 hooted around our little primitive encampment — a sure 

 sign of coming rain ; and their melancholy predictions 

 were this morning verified, for a damp, misty drizzle beat 

 in our faces as w^e emerged from the forest on a grassy 

 meadow, which stretched away in a long valley, and was 

 dotted with stacks of wild meadow hay. It was one of 

 those miniature woodland prairies which afford the settler 

 such plentiful supplies for feeding his stock in winter, and 

 which are the result of the labours of the once abounding 

 beaver, and enduring monuments of its industry. 



In crossing the meadows we came upon traces of a very 

 recent struggle between a young moose and a bear : the 

 bear had evidently taken advantage of the long grass to 

 steal upon the moose, and take him at a disadvantage in 

 the treacherous bog. The grass was much beaten down, 

 and deep furrows in the black soil below showed how 

 energetically the unfortunate moose had striven to escape 

 from his powerful assailant. There was a broad track. 



