ADVENTURES IN THE KENAI 265 



one's back over a rough wilderness trail, after having 

 been cooped up on a ship for three months, further than 

 to say that if you have tried it you will know that we 

 appreciated even 'Scotty's' deliciously prepared meals. 

 Now we were without even 'Scotty,' and I agreed to 

 incubate the grub if Colhns would rustle the wood and 

 water. 



''We had made this same arrangement while hunting 

 on the Alaskan Peninsula, so we knew what not to expect 

 of each other. We had also spent three months together 

 on the 'Abler' in a stateroom that measured just 6x6 

 feet, and as I am over six feet tall and Collins not much 

 shorter, the reader can imagine that we were pretty 

 famihar with each other's faults (although I was never 

 quite able to find any faults in Collins except once, 

 when I nearly burned the tent up by allowing it to come 

 into contact with a very hot stove pipe, and he accused 

 me of being careless). 



"Although we saw no moose on our way to the perma- 

 nent camping grounds, we did see plenty of fresh signs 

 at almost every step. As soon as we had straightened 

 things up around camp the guides left us. Before we 

 had washed up the dishes a young bull moose walked 

 out in plain view on the opposite side of the little lake, 

 and we enjoyed watching him while he surveyed us 

 and then strolled off at a leisurely gait. Before it was 

 time for supper we took an hour's walk and saw three 

 more moose close to us, and at no great distance from 

 camp. 



"It was the intention of us both not to shoot a moose 

 imtil we had an opportunity to see a number of them, 

 if possible, and in that way get some idea of their size 

 in this particular part of the country. 



