106 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 



bottom of my canoe, which I had permitted silently 

 to drift with the current. Suddenly I heard a splash, 

 as if all the fish in the river had collected to make a 

 simultaneous rise ; but, instead of fin, it was fur, and 

 a splendid moose, bearing a noble set of antlers, 

 plunged through the weeds, and soon disappeared in 

 the recesses of the forest. If I had been prepared, or 

 even had my gun been obtainable at a moment's notice, 

 I could with ease have administered the coup de grace. 



When the season advances, and the sparse advent 

 snows occasionally give warning that winter is at hand, 

 the moose deer leave the morass and river banks for 

 higher ground. Here they collect in families, previous 

 to yarding, which takes place as soon as the lands of 

 these Northern wilds have received their annual deep 

 and pure white covering. At this time the moose 

 lives in comparative security, his length of limb and 

 tremendous power enabling him to defy all pursuers. 

 Enjoy well thy rest enjoy it, I say, for it is but for 

 a short season: for when the sun again warms the 

 landscape, and a crust becomes formed through the 

 thaw by day and frost of night, you will require more 

 than that superhuman power to save you from the 

 persevering Indian or venturous white man. Poor 

 creature ! your chance when once pursued, when a 

 heavy crust is formed, is indeed small. I know no 



