APPENDIX. 359 



nearly empty, the trio determined to have a hunt in search of moose- 

 meat. It was February, and deep snow covered the country. On 

 the evening of the first hunting day they came upon a fresh track, 

 and their dogs, three in number, started the chase. Daylight failing, 

 they renewed the hunt bright and early next morning, following 

 until noon, when they finished the last morsel of their bread. Away 

 again, and before nightfall the dogs had pressed the moose very 

 hard. Taking up the trail next day, they pursued it with all the 

 vigour left to them, and until two of the party gave in and deter- 

 mined to strike out for some settlement. The other Indian, how- 

 ever, resolving to stick to the trail to the last, went on, and, to his 

 great delight, about an hour before sundown, he heard the dogs 

 barking furiously. This was good ; on he dashed, and presently 

 came up with the moose and dogs. It was a barren cow : she had 

 crossed a bog bisected by a deep still-water stream thinly crusted 

 with ice, and, having broken through, was struggling mightily to 

 reach the opposite side. He shot the moose in the head, and found, 

 on attempting to haul out the carcase, that he could not succeed in 

 moving it ; so cutting off the mouflSe and tongue, he lighted a fire 

 and then and there feasted. In the morning he became aware that 

 he was not far distant from a farm, as he heard the conk shell blow 

 for breakfast, and proceeding to the spot he induced the settler to 

 assist him by taking his two oxen and sled to the spot where the 

 moose lay to haul out the meat. It was with the greatest difiiculty 

 that they extricated the beast from the hole. It appeared that a 

 hard- wood tree had fallen across the still-water, and that the animal's 

 hind leg had got fixed fast in a crutch of the tree. Whence the 

 Indian's success. " Sartain good lucky this time," said he. He sold 

 his meat well in the adjoining settlement. 



A BEAR SHOT WITH A HALFPENNY.* 



"Not many years ago, when my head-quarters for fall hunting 

 was on Lake Mooin (Anglice, the lake of the bear), I had enjoyed 

 most excellent sport, moose calling, and four superb sets of antlers 

 hung around the camp. The skins of these animals, together with 

 two of bears, stretched, surrounded the smoke place. This latter was 

 our favourite daily resort ; for the camp was too hot a place by day, 

 though a snug box enough at night. Jack Frost having come along 

 with a late September moon. I had made up my mind to visit the 



* From " The Old Hunter's " note-book. 



