MOOSE HUNTING AND CALLING. 193 



into the country as possible, for which reason we carried 

 the canoe. Only an hour before I had loaded my rifle 

 on the off-chance of a shot. The day was unfavourable, 

 as a light cat-ice covered the pools and our advance 

 could be heard. 



We had arrived at a point where the trail led right 

 over a high bluff before leaving the river. The country 

 was fairly open, so that we were both keeping a good 

 look-out. As we descended the bluff I saw something 

 move behind a thick bunch of spruce about a hundred 

 yards ahead. The next moment a pair of huge horns 

 and the large head of a bull moose were thrust into 

 sight. I saw at once that if he turned he would be lost 

 to us, as the growth in that direction was close. He 

 had evidently been taking a siesta behind the spruces, 

 and had been awakened by the sound of our approaching 

 steps grinding upon the thin ice. 



The moment my rifle covered him I pressed the 

 trigger and heard the bullet strike. The great animal 

 sprang forward across the trail, which was for all the 

 world like a ride in an English park, receiving a second 

 shot as he did so. He disappeared, and I turned to 

 run to the height of the knoll in order to command the 

 river. There was no need for this, as in another 

 moment I made out the bull just as he was in the act 

 of falling. We ran up. He was not dead, and indeed 

 got to his feet and attempted to charge, an effort which 

 was cut short by a last shot in the chest. We stood 

 beside the dead giant and admired the fine palmated 

 horns, which carried twenty-two points and spread fifty- 

 two inches. To our surprise we found a third horn 

 growing from the centre of the forehead, but it had 

 unfortunately been broken off earlier in the season, so 



H.C. o 



