CALLING THE MOOSE 29 



against a tree-top sticking out of the water on the 

 other shore. This made a noise, little, it is true, but 

 yet it seemed, oh, how great ! Just then we saw an- 

 other huge object on the bank. Now, up to this time, 

 we could not make out whether the monster in the 

 water was a bull or a cow-moose, and it was rather 

 important to know which, as a fine of four months' 

 imprisonment is the penalty imposed in Maine for 

 shooting a cow. 



It was so dark that I could not see whether the big 

 object had horns or not ; but the guide settled the 

 problem with : " be quick ! that's him on the bank 

 now down him ! " I raised my rifle, aimed for what 

 I believed to be his shoulder, and pulled the trigger. 

 Horror of horrors! the hammer wouldn't budge. 

 Again I sighted and pulled, and yet again, but all 

 to no purpose. My rifle was more harmless than a 

 pocket pistol loaded with Jersey applejack. The cow 

 soon took alarm, floundered up the bank and in the 

 twinkling of an eye both were gone ; he bellowing 

 and barking through the alders and crashing down 

 everything before him in his fury ; and she silently 

 stealing away in the darkness. 



There were two very disgusted men that night; 

 one because the other didn't shoot and the other be- 

 cause his rifle wouldn't let him shoot. On coming 

 into camp I made an examination of the trouble and 

 found that on account of several days' steady rain the 



