OF SHOOTING AND FISHING 35 
moose was skinned and the horns removed; then 
some of the best of the meat was cut up and these 
things were arranged in packs for our return. 
Owing to the weight of the head the skull was not 
cut down the middle in the usual way, but chopped 
across in front of and behind the horns so as to 
reduce the weight toa minimum. Packs were now 
shouldered and we started back to where we had 
left the canoe several miles off. The afternoon 
was well spent before we arrived at the river, and 
getting everything on board, we paddled down to- 
wards the portage. A dense growth of alders on 
each side obstructed the view, but occasionally we 
passed a game trail leading through and away from 
the water. 
When we had accomplished about half the dis- 
tance, happening to glance through one of these 
breaks as we passed, I caught a glimpse of several 
moose quite close. Whispering to the men, they 
ran the canoe in to the shore and we all three landed 
and crawled quietly through the alders. There, 
within a hundred yards of us, stood a splendid 
bull, with his head in the opposite direction, and 
near him stood a cow and calf, also looking away 
from us. The wind was favorable, so we watched 
them for some minutes. It was intensely inter- 
esting to examine closely with glasses these strange- 
looking animals. The bull was a beauty—if such 
a word could be used in describing a moose. His 
shovels were broad, and the points good, while his 
body looked very black and the horns a rich brown. 
All three animals stood with their heads to the wind 
