144 PRAIRIE AND FOREST. 



At noon, when I started to fulfil my purpose, large 

 flakes of snow were noiselessly descending, but not 

 in sufficient numbers to obliterate the trail. The 

 water reached, the first glance exposed a sight only 

 seen by those who reside beyond the verges of civi- 

 lisation, where the wild denizens of the air, or inhabi-* 

 tants of the land reign supreme. The surface of 

 the lakes was covered with ducks of every variety 

 moving room even looked scarce ; still phalanx after 

 phalanx came swooping down before the wind with the 

 well-known velocity that a wild duck's wings command. 

 Quack, quack, quack, went the ducks on the water ; a 

 prolonged note from those in the air answered. The 

 three notes were an invitation, the one note a hearty 

 response, as willingly accepting the invitation as the 

 most hospitable host could desire. 



A few shots filled my bag, and I seated myself on a 

 rock, regardless alike of snow or wind, to admire and 

 learn the instinct of the animal world. Hour after 

 hour glided on, and night was near as I returned my 

 pipe to my pocket, unfolded my covering from around 

 my gun-locks, and rose to depart. The snow had in 

 the meantime obliterated my path ; still the familiar 

 trees and the ever-true-speaking mosses told with 

 certainty the direction. Indolently and self-satisfied 

 I broke into the bush on my homeward route; the 

 weight of the game told heavily on my shoulders. 

 When half of the journey (which I had long wished 

 had been the whole) was reached, I heard a rustling in 

 the brush, evidently caused by large game. Such a 

 warning instantly aroused me, and, on the alert for 

 further sport, I took all the surrounding visible objects 

 in at a glance. In front was a bear. A monster to 



