and the Maritime Provinces. 35 



" I had raised my rifle to my shoulder, and was at the point of firing, 

 when there was heard a cracking of sticks a short distance to the right of 

 us, and in a moment a cow moose appeared upon the scene. She was, of 

 course, instantly discovered by the other, and it took but a moment for 

 him to join her." 



" I 've called many a bull," whispered the guide, " but never a cow 

 moose before." 



" I made no reply, but again raising my rifle was about to draw the 

 trigger when the smashing of sticks caused by some large animal was 

 again heard in the direction from which the cow moose had come, and 

 another male bounded through the thicket and joined the others. 



" The scene that followed was the most remarkable that 1 ever wit- 

 nessed ; it was a battle that I shall never forget. In an instant the bulls 

 came together with an impact that seemed to shake the earth ; with a loud 

 clash their antlers met and became interlocked, and then, straining every 

 nerve and fibre and muscle, each of the savage animals tried to force the 

 other backward or from his feet. Around they swung, now here, now 

 there, sometimes the advantage being with one and as often with the other. 

 Ever and anon their weapons became separated, and then the duellists 

 sought by quick leaps and dexterous lunges to adroitly reach within each 

 other's guard and strike a vulnerable spot. 



" The agility, the celerity of attack and defence that were displayed in 

 this battle were astonishing and hardly to be expected from such huge and 



the tender shoots with great rapidity, and on such food they fatten very 

 quickly. 



" It often seems to me that we have in Nova Scotia two distinct vari- 

 eties of moose, one, much shorter legged and darker colored, with longer 

 bell and narrower horns ; it gets much fatter than the other, and is usu- 

 ally found in the hemlock lands. The other is longer legged, lighter in 

 color, has much broader horns, and is found in barren and boggy lands ; 

 these are the most numerous, and their horns sometimes spread five feet 

 across. 



" The calling season is a time much enjoyed by the hunter, for no 

 singer can furnish music that will stir one's very soul as does the distant 

 note ' Boh 7 of the bull moose when he answers the hunter's deceptive 

 summons. Although the animal often comes up on the trot ready to meet 

 an expectant mate, he is sometimes not so bold, but will come only as far 

 as he has good cover, and will then work around to the leeward and get 

 the scent, when off he goes, his horns laid back on his shoulders, and in 

 an instant he is out of sight. Calling moose is not a sure method, and I 

 prefer the still-hunt, as it is much more sportsmanlike. Moose will some- 

 times yard quite near a settlement, and will become so accustomed to 

 hearing the sound of the dinner horn and the watch-dog's bark that they 

 are not disturbed by the usual sounds of every-day life, but their long ears 

 and keen scent quickly warn them when danger approaches." 



