A Sportsman 43 



subject of much discussion, and lately a prominent 

 German savant has advanced the theory that this 

 element is the primitive origin of all life — all vege- 

 table and animal — which now exists upon the earth. 

 This is a somewhat startling theory, but that life must 

 necessarily have started upon this once molten mass 

 in a very primitive form is clearly evident, but how, 

 may or may not be solved. 



The snow was between two and three feet deep 

 at the period of otir visit, with frequent new falls, 

 and I amused myself by making snow-shoe excursions 

 in the forest about the lake. 



ONE day I came across the footprints of an ani- 

 mal, evidently of more magnitude than those 

 made by a deer, and upon brushing out the tracks I 

 fovmd the imprint evidently of a cow or ox. I related 

 this to the guides, and observed their immediate 

 fixed attention and interest. They informed me no 

 cow or ox could be found in the region about, and 

 that I had certainly fovmd a moose track, which we 

 could easily trail, for he could not be many miles off, 

 and that we would go after him the next day. 



With lunch in our pockets we started at an early 

 hour, fully prepared for a brush with a monarch of the 

 northern woods. An examination of the tracks speed- 

 ily determined the direction to take, and we had no 

 difficulty in following them, although a foot of snow 

 had fallen since the passage of the moose — for the 

 tracks clearly indicated such to be the maker of 

 the tell-tale guides. My men said his escape was 



