i62 THE UPPER YUKON 



the contest. The signs of blood were every- 

 where to be seen. 



Early on this morning, a few minutes be- 

 fore coming upon this moose battlefield, I 

 had chided the Chief for wearing a pair of 

 khaki trousers on a moose hunt, as the swish of 

 the trousers when they rubbed against each 

 other could be heard for a good distance 

 away. He evidently remembered this, for, 

 getting down on his knees, he rolled his 

 trousers so high that they were silent as he 

 walked. We must now be very close to one 

 of the real giants of the moose family. 



The trail of the largest moose led up hill 

 into the big timber, while that of his rival 

 led along the bottom land to the left. Natu- 

 rally we commenced to follow the one that had 

 gone into the timber. The trail was fresh 

 and in places bloody. As soon as we entered 

 the timber we dropped on our hands and 

 knees and made haste slowly but surely. The 

 trail showed that our bull was accompanied 

 by one or more cows, and a small track 

 showed that a young moose — very likely a 

 spike horn— also was in the bunch. 



We came to two balsam fir trees standing 

 close together. I was on the left side of the 

 trees; the Chief on the right. Here we 



