THE MOOSE 41 



retreat. But now the hounds were in full cry, 

 and the moose well-nigh worn out, it seemed 

 only a matter of time to get up with our quarry ; 

 we accordingly followed the footprints, which were 

 painfully distinct from the blood of the wounds 

 inflicted by the dogs, or made by the frozen 

 crust. Here I noticed large gouts where she had 

 halted for a moment, or a gory pit caused by her 

 nose, when in her struggles she had suddenly 

 sunk to the brisket and buried the muzzle, or 

 where mouthfuls of snow had been seized to 

 slake thirst and cool the parched tongue. I 

 must, however, allow that the chase was exciting, 

 and had it been a male I should have enjoyed 

 the fun immensely ; but considering the circum- 

 stances I could not enter heart and soul into the 

 hunt in the same way as my companions, who, 

 now worked up to the very extreme of venatical 

 frenzy, were madly rushing on regardless of all 

 obstacles. 



"It is the most perplexing moment to the 

 Canadian hunter when, in hot pursuit, he hap- 

 pens to strike the tip of his unwieldy snow-shoe 

 against a snag, and is sent c a cropper, spread- 

 eagle fashion/ on his face, the long snow-shoes 

 standing on end. If not an expert at recovering 



