368 THE ADIRONDACK. 



paddling softly along the upper end of the lake, when 

 all at once I saw something black in the water standing 

 way up in the air almost over me. I never saw a 

 moose before, but knew at once 'twas nothing else. 

 Thinks I, quick as lightning, buck-shot won't do for you, 

 so took up my rifle without making any sound. The 

 light now fell full on his strapping sides, and Moody at 

 once saw him, too, and he began to back the boat. I 

 whispered : 'What are you backing for?' He stopped, 

 and the next second I fired. Thunder, what a rush he 

 made ! I thought at first he was coming right top of 

 the boat. Tou never heard such a floundering in your 

 life. I tell you the water flew for a minute. He then 

 made two or three awful big jumps to land, when he 

 stopped. I couldn't see him, and we sat about a minute 

 still, when we heard him fall. I tell you he came down 

 like an ox, and made the ground shake. I knew it was 

 all up with him. We rowed ashore, and there he lay 

 amid the bushes— his great eyes rolling, but he couldn't 

 stir. We had a big job skinning and dressing him." 



They had already cut him up and were jerking his 

 meat. This was done by building a fire twelve or four- 

 teen feet long, over which were stretched two long poles 

 close together, and resting on forked sticks at either end. 



