114 FOREST LIFE IN ACADIE. 



US to-niglit, if there are any in these woods. Ah ! die 

 you hear that ? Listen/' 



We all heard it plainly — a heavy crash of branches on 

 the barren right in front of us ; then another, followed by 

 a rush through the bushes of some evidently large animal ; 

 then came the call of the cow-moose, followed by the 

 grunting of bulls. 



" Two or three of 'em," said John ; " whole crew 

 fighting in little swamp just ahead. Grand chance this. 

 Put the bundles down behind the rock there, so as moose 

 can't see them, and look at your caps." 



It was just the time to commence calling — the day- 

 light had quite died out, and the young moon, nearly 

 half grown, shed an uncertain light over the gray rocks 

 and bare gaunt rampikes of the barren. We moved on 

 to a little knoll a few yards ahead, whence was obtained 

 a view through the rocks and dead trees for over a hun- 

 dred yards in the direction of the moose, and lay down 

 a few paces apart in the thick bushes which grew some 

 two or three feet high everywhere. 



The Indian crouched behind a massive trunk near us, 

 and we anxiously awaited his first challenge to the 

 moose, which were in a swampy hollow in the barren, 

 not more than 500 yards distant, though the thickly 

 standing rampikes and rocks, and the unevenness of the 

 ground, prevented us from seeing them. He seemed to 

 wait long and hesitatingly ; so much would depend upon 

 the skilfulness of his first call, and several times the bark 

 trumpet was withdrawn from his lips before he made up 

 his mind to the effort. 



At length he called ; softly, and with a slight quaver, 

 the plaintive sound was drawn forth, apparently from the 



