IN THE HEART OF THE MOOSE COUNTRY 185 



points ; the other having smaller antlers inclined more upwards, 

 with wide shovels and shorter points. One morning, when 

 busily engaged with bacon, home-made bread, and tea, at our 

 early breakfast on the island, the Indians heard a distant splash- 

 ing in the water. " Dat moose," said one, " Come, go," and 

 our canoe was soon making good time in the direction of the 

 sound. No moose was anywhere to be seen, but on the sandy 

 beach at the end of the lake were the absolutely fresh footprints 

 of a big bull. He had eaten the roots of the water-lily and 

 afterwards entered the woods. The Indian, after closely examin- 

 ing the spoor, thought that the bull was probably making for a 

 large bay some distance off. So towards it we paddled, keeping 

 close to the shore. On rounding the point, there, near an old 

 shanty, stood an enormous bull-moose, motionless as if carved 

 out of black stone like a beautiful statue. He flew round quickly 

 as I fired and disappeared in the bush. For some moments, 

 truly horrible moments, there was a sickening doubt in my mind 

 as to whether he was hit, when to my intense relief blood was 

 found on the shrubs, but finding blood and carrying off the head 

 of a moose do not always follow as a natural sequence. The 

 Indian took up the trail, grumbling about the very slight bleeding ; 

 but we had not to go far before the bull lay dead before us. 

 How delightful it was thus to have all doubts removed, and the 

 canoe had two happy occupants as it went back to the island. 

 This moose belonged to the species with smaller horns, the 

 shovels being broader, however, the points, five on each side in 

 this case, smaller and less numerous than in his large antlered 

 relatives. He was almost jet black, and measured 79J inches 

 on the ground from top of withers to point of toe. This was 

 indeed a lucky incident in moose hunting, or was it due to the 

 sagacity of the Indian and his thorough knowledge of the habits 

 of the animal ? When the head was being cleaned the moose 

 birds, our only visitors on the island except flies, had a great 

 feast ; when completely gorged they carried off all that remained 

 to some hiding-place in the forest as a provision, no doubt, for 

 days of scarcity. Having now a grand specimen of each variety, 

 a piece of good fortune which probably does not happen to many 

 hunters on a three weeks' trip, we shortly after commenced our 

 homeward journey. Before, however, finally leaving the moose 

 country we had one more hunt, and struck the fresh track of a 



