104 FOREST LIFE IN ACADIE. 



on tlie mossy bogs. He has found his voice, too, and, 

 where moose arc numerous, the hitherto silent woods 

 resound with the phxintive call of the cow, the grunting 

 response of her mate, and the crashings of dead trees, as 

 the horns are rapidly drawn across them to overawe an 

 approaching rival. 



This call of the cow-moose is imitated by the Indian 



hunter through a trumpet made of birch bark rolled up 



in the form of a cone, about two feet in length ; and the 



deceit is generally attempted by moonlight, or in the 



early morning in the twilight preceding sunrise — seldom 



after. Secreting himself behind a sheltering clump of 



bushes or rocks, on the edge of the forest barren, on some 



favourable night in September or October, when the 



moon is near its full, and not a breath of wind stirs the 



foliage, the hunter utters the plaintive call to allure the 



'sii monarch of the forest to his destruction. The startling 



«• and strange sound reverberates through the country; and 



as its echoes die aw\ay, and everything resumes the won- 



i derful silence of the woods on a calm frosty night in the 



1 fall, he drops his birchen trumpet in the bushes, and 



assumes the attitude of intense listening. Perhaps there 



,'-;i is no response ; when, after an interval of about fifteen 



■^' minutes, lie ascends a small tree, so as to give greater 



range to the sound, and again sends his wild call pealing 



through the woods. Presently a low grunt, quickly 



repeated, comes from over some distant hill, and snapi)ings 



of branches, and falling trees, attest the approach of the 



bull ; perhaps there is a pause — not a sound to be heard 



for some moments. The hunter, now doubly carefui, 



knowing that his voice is criticised by the exquisite ear 



of the bull, kneels down, and, thrusting the mouth of his 



■ .i 



A 



