io8 A Hunting Trip 



distance, then quickly hastened to the woods. 

 We had ti-avelled some four or five hundred 

 yards, finding our way quietly and stealthily 

 along, when Tom threw up his hand in the 

 usual sign of warning to keep us very quiet — - 

 thus indicating his expectations of the pres- 

 ence of more game round the next bend. He 

 rounded the point as close to the shore-line as 

 possible, hastily shot the canoe into a little 

 cove beyond, as listening, we could hear the 

 " splash-splash " of some large animal round- 

 ing the next curve below. Still as mice we 

 waited, excitedly wondering what prize we 

 were about to draw. While keenly watching 

 to see what it was, Tom whispered, " Get your 

 gun ready: it might be a bull moose." At the 

 next minute round came the head of a cow 

 moose not more than thirty yards away. Af- 

 ter watching her a few minutes Tom gave a 

 moose call and she threw up her head, sniffed 

 the air, and started for the swamp, stopping 

 a minute on shore before disappearing in the 

 bush. We reached the end of our water jour- 

 ney about dark; from which point we had a 

 three miles' walk to camp through a dense 



