CHAPTER XV 



THE GIANT MOOSE 



JUST off the trail leading from the lake to the cabin 

 at the fork of Benjamin Creek and the Killey River 

 and about a half mile lower than the dike from 

 which we had obtained om* first broad view of the river 

 bottom, a Httle patch of cottonwood trees grew around 

 the sides of a small basin amid the hills. Here we 

 pitched two tents and kindled a blazing fire. 



It was the first night that we spent under canvas. 

 The weather had turned bitterly cold; a thin film of ice 

 formed in a few minutes on the water in our buckets. 

 Lying in the little, thin miner's tent with my head and 

 feet touching its cold walls, I could almost feel the 

 warmth of life oozing out through the thin blankets 

 which formed my sleeping bag. In the 8 x 10 duck tent 

 the other three men slept like logs in their warmer cover- 

 ings. 



We had counted eleven moose on the way as we 

 moved from Benjamin Creek to the cottonwoods camp, 

 and just as we were coming into the place where we were 

 to pitch, a large bull was plainly visible hardly a quarter 

 of a mile beyond the camp. So close was he, in fact, 

 that we had to stalk behind the willows to get into our 

 shelter. Bill and I, of course, immediately after arrang- 

 ing matters for the night, set out to have a closer look at 

 this specimen, and we got within one hundred and fifty 

 yards of him. There was no doubt that it was a very 



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