MOOSE-CALLING IN NEW BRUNSWICK 



ments. For fully five minutes we glared at each other, while 

 I figured out that while I was sufficiently close to burn the hair 

 of the moose when I fired, it must surely fall on top of me and 

 crush me. Finally the bull lowered its head, stepped a few 

 feet to one side, and deliberately walked by me at a distance 

 of ten feet. When it had passed, the light wind gave it the 

 full benefit of the human scent that would have caused the 

 orthodox moose to vanish from sight at once. This particular 

 bull wandered to where I had dropped my field-glasses and 

 sweater at the first grunt, spread out its fore-legs, and delib- 

 erately turned them over with its nose. Then it strode out into 

 the pond, and before an interested and appreciative audience 

 of one wallowed around in the mud twenty feet from shore for 

 fully a quarter of an hour. Having somewhat recovered my 

 confidence by this time, I talked to the moose and waved articles 

 of wearing apparel to attract its attention. Beyond looking 

 up at me occasionally for a moment, the bull seemed little in- 

 terested in my endeavors. After this it swam to the opposite 

 shore, a hundred and fifty yards distant, and lay down in the 

 grass for fully half an hour before it arose and disappeared 

 among the spruces, not even looking backward when I shouted 

 a farewell. 



Later in the afternoon, while I was still thinking over this 

 unusual experience, I heard a series of moose-calls coming down 

 the opposite ridge, followed by the sight of a set of antlers 

 approaching through the alders on the opposite side of the 

 pond. However, this proved to be John staggering under a 

 moose head, the original owner of which had been shot by 

 Howe that morning on a hardwood ridge five miles from the 

 pond. Imagining that I would be on the watch at this spot,, 

 and not wishing to be greeted by a shower of lead, John had 

 purposely advertised his approach by a series of sounds, topped 

 by the appearance of a good set of antlers above the waving 

 alders, which might have cost him dearly. 



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