HABITS, HAUNTS, AND ANECDOTES 



(as there was soft mud on the pond 

 bottom, and he could not make way 

 swiftly in it) and started for the bank. 

 The hunter held his fire, fingering his 

 gun-lock nervously, until the moose had 

 reached firm ground. It would not 

 have done to shoot him in the mire, for, 

 the water being shallow, half a dozen 

 men could not have extracted the body ; 

 but with the first step the great beast 

 (with mud and water dripping from his 

 body) took upon the shore, a bullet 

 pierced him in the neck. Then there 

 was a succession of shots, and little jets 

 of blood spurted out on the dark brown 

 coat of the forest giant, who by this time 

 was making rapid way along the rocky 

 shore of the pond. A dense cedar swamp 

 lay inland from the shore, and into it 

 62 



