216 SPORTING ADVENTURES 



chase is a long- one, oven after a wounded moose, I concluded 

 to cut to the right in a straight line, as he seemed inclined to 

 keep more in that direction than in any other, and to head him 

 off', or at least to induce him to halt by stopping the noise 

 behind him ; and acting on this idea, I tore through the woods 

 as rapidly as possible, and after running about what I should 

 judge to be a mile, I emerged on a glade, but on scanning it 

 I could see nothing animate there. I walked over a portion 

 of it and scrutinized the ground for " signs " as carefully as 

 the pale moon would permit me, but I could find no indications 

 of the presence of a moose. Feeling sorely disappointed at my 

 want of good luck, I concluded to go back to camp, but on re- 

 entering the forest I could not tell in which direction it lay. 

 I started, however, towards where I supposed it was, and 

 wandered about for two hours, yet I seemed as far away from 

 it as ever. Realizing the fact that I was actually getting lost 

 in an unknown forest, my feelings were anything but cheerful, 

 and I began to upbraid my own thoughtlessness for daring to 

 follow an animal in a region of which I knew nothing, and did 

 not even take the precaution to note. I did not know what 

 to do. To rest I could not; and to keep wandering aimlessly 

 about I felt to be worse than useless, as every step might take 

 me further away from succour. After thinking the matter 

 carefully over, I concluded to stop where I was until morning, 

 if I could not get a response to some shouts, and try to retrace 

 my footsteps by the tracks they had made. I commenced 

 hallooing accordingly, but after keeping it up at intervals for 

 half an hour I stopped it, and resigned myself to fate. 



Feeling fatigued, I sat down beneath a huge fir, placed my 

 head against the trunk, and was soon fast asleep ; and when I 

 awoke the next morning the bright rays of the sun were 

 streaming through my leafy chamber. On arising I felt quite 

 still', the night dew having chilled, and my unusual position 

 cramped me. (Jiving myself half a dozen good shakes to 

 arouse the blood to more vigorous action, and rubbing my eyes 

 to dissipate the efiect of lingering sleep, I commenced a search 

 for cam]) once more. My first movement was to note where 

 my footsteps had led me, and after following them for an 



