A HUNTER'S CAMP-FIRES 



stretches of dead- water on the upper portion of the narrow, 

 swampy river. A low-lying mist shut out of vision everything 

 except the ghostly tops of the spruces along the shores. The 

 silence was broken only by the loud splashing of muskrats along 

 the banks of the stream or the occasional noisy flight of small 

 flocks of black ducks, suddenly disturbed as the silently moving 

 canoe glided into their midst. At the end of the dead-water 

 we poled across a reed-covered marsh, worked our way up a 

 swift-running stream, portaged across a low, spruce-covered 

 mountain, and launched the canoe in the long, narrow lake 

 where we had watched for moose several nights before. 



By this time the sun had dispelled the mists, and a stiff 

 breeze had sprung up, against which we fought for four miles 

 to the end of the body of water, in order to examine some 

 ponds at its upper end. While we were returning down the 

 lake, with the increasing wind driving the light canoe before it, 

 I noticed a bull moose walking through the alders on a point 

 about three hundred and fifty yards ahead of us. At the same 

 moment a low whistle from the Indian in the stem of the canoe 

 informed me that he had also seen the game. Realizing that 

 the wind was carrying our scent toward the moose, we paddled 

 to the middle of the lake, drifted past, and then slowly fought 

 our way back against the wind toward the animal. The moose 

 was knee-deep in the shallow water, striding along the marshy 

 shores, and stopping occasionally to gaze at the approaching 

 canoe. Owing to the sun shining in its eyes, the bull could see 

 this indistinctly, but could not recognize it as a source of 

 danger. 



While it was looking the frail craft tossed about listlessly 

 in the swell, but the moment the moose showed its profile or 

 lowered its head to tear up the lily-pads the canoe glided for- 

 ward rapidly under the Indian's skilful strokes. With the 

 morning sun shining on its antlers and a glossy black coat of 

 hair as sleek as that of a well-groomed horse, the bull presented 



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