COWARD ! 251 



pleased me, even if it was to capture a moose. 

 I said he was helpless. When, however, he saw 

 us approaching him, his tremendous power, 

 for he was a large fellow, flung _Rover off him, 

 and sent Eeady with a kick 12 or 18 feet 

 behind him. Then he sprang up and stood 

 facing me, a picture of bold defiance. My 

 rifle was raised, ranged for a blank shot. 

 " Coward I " sounded in my ears. From whence 

 came the sound? It must have been an 

 inward consciousness that it was a shame to 

 shoot him when he had no fair chance for his 

 life. The word was spoken loud enough to 

 hold my hand, and the rifle was not fired 

 by me. 



" Why in thunder don't you fire ? Are you 

 going to let him go again ? " asked R. 



" I can't shoot that moose, helpless as he 

 is with those dogs." 



" Confound such sentimentalism ! What 

 did we come away out here for, if you weren't 

 going to shoot when a chance like this came 

 to you?" 



" Well, here, you take the gun and fire, if 

 you like : I won't at that one." 



So the rifle was passed to him, at which the 



