MOOSE-CALLING. 10!) 







otter or miuk-slviii. Our suits were all of the strong grey 



homespun of the country, an almost colourless material, 



and on that account, as well as for its tendency to dry 



quickly when wet, owing to its porosity, very valual)lc 'h 



to the hunter as a universal clotii for every garment. ;f^ 



Thus accoutred, we marched through the forest in file, 



laying down our bundles now and then to folbnv recent ^ 



moose-tracks which might cross our path, and to ascertain i .; 



tlie whereabouts of the rnxme with ret>;ard to the barrens :K' 



O O .,.1 



towards which we were wending our way with the object 5' 



of calling the moose. The previous night had been "^^ 



passed, under the shelter of a grove of enormous hem- ;■.. 



locks, where we had halted on our journey from the ':] 



settlements, night overtaking us. All night the owls had ' 



hooted around our little primitive encampment — a sure '; , 



sign of coming rain ; and their melancholy predictions . , 



were this morning verified, for a damp, misty drizzle l)eat 

 in our faces as we emerged from the forest on a grassy 

 mejidow, which stretched away in a long valley, and was 

 dotted with stacks of wild meadow hay. It was one of 

 those miniature woodland prairies which aft'ord the settler 

 such plentiful supplies for feeding his stock in winter, and 

 which are the result of the laljours of the once abounding 

 beaver, and enduring monuments of its industry. 



In crossing the meadows we came upon traces of a very 

 recent struggle between a young moose and a bear : tlie 

 bear had evidently taken advantage of the long grass to 

 steal upon the moose, and take him at a disadvantage in 

 the treacherous bog. The grass was much beaten down, 

 and deep furrows in the black soil below showed how 

 energetically the unfortunate moose had striven to escape 

 from his powerful assailant. There was a broad track. 



it 



