248 MOOSE-HUNTING, SALMON-FISHING, ETC 



proved an apt scholar, at least my companion 

 said so. With this objection removed, the 

 way seemed clear. He would not take a gun, 

 but an axe, leaving all the shooting to me and 

 my trusty Enfield, which arrangement was 

 doomed later to cost us the carcase of an 

 immense moose, which passed within a few 

 feet of R., my companion, while the writer 

 was kicking in the snow, helpless. We retired 

 early, planning for an early start, so that four 

 o'clock found us on the move, breakfast 

 over, dogs fed, snow-shoes and lunches over 

 our shoulders, gun and axe in hand, and the 

 quick march sounded. It being frosty, we 

 started off at a lively gait, the dogs following. 

 The roads by which the woods were entered 

 passed within a short distance of the home of 

 our best and leading dog, and the thought to 

 watch him when in that neighbourhood did 

 not occur to us, nor was he missed from the 

 kennel until we had proceeded half a mile 

 or more, necessitating the return for him and 

 consequent delay of an hour, making it broad 

 daylight when the track we were after was 

 reached. Here we secured on the snow-shoes, 

 and began to follow the track. Eover, Ready, 



