2IO Hunting Big Game 



memory much pleasure mingled with the ex- 

 citement of the chase: the alluring of the bull 

 moose in the rutting season; the slashing of 

 antlers as he approaches his adversary ; his sus- 

 picion that he is being falsely led into danger ; 

 the breaking of limbs as he departs from his 

 covert foe; his return when the deception is 

 changed from a challenge to the soft low call 

 as though his lady-love were imploring him to 

 come back, until when, in the stillness of dusk, 

 the guide lifts the birch-bark horn full of 

 water and pours, the noble lord of the forest 

 is only more deceived and off his guard, and, 

 answering his lady-love in his wooing voice, 

 says: "I am coming. I will be with you 

 now." Behold! the bushes part, and there he 

 stands, looking up and down; noble animal, 

 full of life, love, and happiness, snorting and 

 pawing the water with his powerful front 

 feet; and from his having just rubbed the 

 velvet from his huge antlers, the corpuscles 

 make them look red in the twilight. The de- 

 ception and fraud perpetrated is perfect. 

 What then? Bang! bang! and the noble fel- 

 low has answered his last love-call. 



