about a mile and found the wind worse than it was on the 

 lake below, and so strong as to make it hard canoeing. 

 In a big bog on the right-hand side we heard a branch 

 break. We stopped and listened. A deer, we both 

 thought, as another and another branch broke. Then 

 came the sound of heav}' footfalls and we knew a moose 

 was "coming to the water." We listened intently, so 

 intently that I could hear the ticking of my watch, 

 though it was buried under a sweater, a coat and an 

 overcoat ; nay, more, I heard — perhaps it may have been 

 fancy — the stretching of my elastic suspenders as I 

 breathed. Soon we distinguished through the dark of 

 the moonless night a great object, big as a hippopotamus, 

 move down the bank and step into the water. The guide 

 pushed the canoe up deftly and silently, but the wind was 

 at its worst at this time and blew the canoe diagonally 

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

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

 sounded, oh, how great ! Just then we saw another huge 

 object ou 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 $ioo and three months imprisoument is the 

 penalty imposed for shooting a cow.) 



It was so dark I couldn't 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, aud pulled the trigger, but, horror of horrors, 

 the hamtuer wouldn't budge ; again I sighted and pulled, 

 and yet again, but all to no purpose. 'Sly rifle was more- 



