MOOSE HUNTING AND CALLING. 185 



to meet him. It was clear that he had advanced 

 to the end of a small grassy or marshy point, which 

 thrust itself out into the water at the head of the lake. 

 Here he stood. We also paused, for we were within 

 seventy or eighty yards. He grunted two or three 

 times and began to plunge at least, so we, listening in 

 the darkness, imagined, for we heard him tearing his 

 hoofs out of the soft mud. Under cover of these 

 noises we paddled nearer, and soon we were within 

 thirty yards. I imagined I could now see the animal's 

 eyes, shining points in the gloom. 



Unfortunately a light mist had risen from the surface 

 of the water, which added to the dimness, so that it 

 was impossible to discover what manner of horns the 

 bull carried. Recognising this, Ed urged the canoe 

 forward with a silent paddle, and carried us so close 

 that we were within fifteen yards. The bull had heard 

 something, for he advanced a step or two into the water. 



I was now in a dilemma, for, though I had for some 

 unexplained and unexplainable reason made up my 

 mind that the animal was a fine one, I could see 

 nothing of his horns but a whitish blur, which may, 

 and probably did, exist only in my imagination. I had 

 him covered all this time with my rifle, but was 

 naturally unwilling to fire. The cow called repeatedly 

 in a complaining fashion ; she was about a hundred yards 

 away on the same shore of the lake. 



In the province of Quebec the game laws only allow 

 one bull moose under each licence, but as the season 

 was already well advanced it seemed doubtful whether 

 I should meet with another. Yet to shoot without 

 seeing the head was manifestly impossible. The sky, 

 under the influence of what breeze there was, appeared 



