BIG MOOSE OF LITTLE TOBIQUE 1 15 



Again came the far-off bark, but this time much 

 nearer than before. The guide answered it with a 

 low, plaintive call intended to indicate that her coun- 

 terfeit cow ship was extremely delighted to have her 

 K. S. V. P. answered so promptly. 



The birch-bark horn was now laid aside, for the bull 

 was coming with mighty strides, breaking the branches 

 under his feet and crashing his antlers against the 

 trees. In the meanwhile the lady-moose on my left 

 had stepped out into the water. Though I did not see 

 her, I could hear her drinking, and also heard her mate 

 wade in, splashing the water around him. But the 

 other chap we were so eagerly waiting for was quiet. 

 Not a sound came from his direction. He was either 

 stealing down to the water on tiptoe or standing still 

 and listening. And thus the minutes passed. The 

 pair of moose-lovers had drunk their fill, and now we 

 heard them in the darkness nibbling at the lily-pads. 



To the right of where I was lying, and perhaps 

 fifteen feet away, was another piece of ground with 

 a wet, sticky bottom of gray clay, and in this I first 

 saw the footprints of the Big Moose of Little Tobique. 

 Turning myself to the moose-lovers on the left and 

 looking towards the right, I saw the flash of a light. 

 My first thought was that the guide had struck a 

 match to light his path toward me. But quickly as 

 the flash came, just as quickly did it disappear. I 

 laid for a moment puzzled, and then saw what puz- 



