228 The Wilderness Plunter. 



slightest attempt at retaliation. If the chase has been 

 very long, or if the depth of the snow and character of 

 the crust are exceptionally disadvantageous to them, they 

 are so utterly done out, when overtaken, that they cannot 

 make a struggle, and may even be killed with an axe. I 

 know of at least five men who have thus killed crusted 

 moose with an axe ; one in the Rocky Mountains, one in 

 Minnesota, three in Maine. 



But in ordinary snow a man who should thus attempt to 

 kill a moose would merely jeopardize his own life ; and it is 

 not an uncommon thing for chased moose, when closely 

 approached by their pursuers, even when the latter carry 

 guns and are expert snow-shoers, to charge them 

 with such ferocity as to put them in much peril. 

 A brother of one of my cow-hands, a man from Maine, 

 was once nearly killed by a cow moose. She had been 

 in a yard with her last year's calf when started. After 

 two or three hours' chase he overtook them. They 

 were travelling in single file, the cow breaking her path 

 through the snow, while the calf followed close behind, and 

 in his nervousness sometimes literally ran up on her. The 

 man trotted close alongside ; but, before he could fire, the 

 old cow spun round and charged him, her mane bristling 

 and her green eyes snapping with rage. It happened that 

 just there the snow became shallow, and the moose gained 

 so rapidly that the man, to save his life, sprang up a tree. 

 As he did so the cow reared and struck at him, one fore- 

 foot catching in his snow-shoe and tearing it clear off, giv- 

 ing his ankle a bad wrench. After watching him a minute 

 or two she turned and continued her flight ; whereupon he 



