THE RECLUSE. 



resources fail, has the power of remaining under 

 water for a long time. It may be an exaggera- 

 tion growing out of their experience of the many 

 marvellous devices which he occasionally practises 

 for self -preservation, and in which they believe he 

 is more accomplished than the fox, or any other 

 animal. A curious story is told, which may serve 

 to illustrate the reputation of the beast in the 

 eyes of those children of the forest, if it be worth 

 no more. If there is any truth in it, we must 

 assume that the animal managed to bring his 

 nostrils to the surface at intervals; but how he 

 could do this so as to elude the observation of his 

 hunters is the marvel. For it must be borne in 

 mind that they were Red Indians, not white 

 men. 



Two credible Indians, after a long day's absence 

 on a hunt, came in and stated that they had 

 chased a moose into a small pond ; that they had 

 seen him go to the middle of it and disappear, 

 and then, choosing positions from which they 

 could see every part of the circumference of the 

 pond, smoked and waited until evening; during 

 all which time they could see no motion of the 

 water, or other indication of the position of the 

 moose. 



At length, being discouraged, they had aban- 

 doned all hope of taking him, and returned home. 

 Not long afterwards came a solitary hunter, 

 loaded with meat, who related, that having fol- 

 lowed the track of a moose for some distance, he 

 had traced it to the pond before mentioned ; but 

 having also discovered the tracks of two men, 

 made at the same time as those of the moose, he 

 concluded they must have killed it. Nevertheless, 

 approaching cautiously to the margin of the pond, 

 he sat down to rest. Presently, he saw the 

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