114 FOREST LIFE IN ACADIE. 



"|, US to-niglit, if there jiro ;iny in those woods. Ah I did 



>•[" y . hear that ? Listen." 



We ull heard it plainly — a heavy crash of hranches on 



; ■ the barren right in front of us ; then another, followed by 



a rush through the bushes of some evidently large animal; 

 then came the call of the cow-moose, followed by the 

 grunting of bulls. 

 ■ " Two or three of 'em," said John ; " whole crew 



fighting in little swamp just ahead. Grand chance this. 

 Put the bundles down behind the rock there, so as moose 

 can't see them, and look at your caps." 



It was just the time to commence calling — the day- 



' light had quite died out, and tlie young moon, nearly 



half grown, shed an uncertain light over the gray rocks 

 and l)are gaunt rampikes of the barren. We moved on 

 to a little knoll a few yards ahead, whence was obtained 



['■■ a view through the rocks and dead trees for over a hun- 



I;-' dred yards in the direction of the moose, and lay down 



a few paces apart in the thick bushes which grew some 

 two or three feet high everywhere. 



The Indian crouched behind a massive trunk near us, 

 and we anxiously awaited his first challenge to the 

 moose, which were in a swam})y hollow in the barren, 

 not more than .'300 yards distant, though the thickly 

 standing rampikes and rocks, and the unevenness of the 

 ground, prevented us from seeing them. He seemed to 

 wait long and hesitathigly ; so much would depend upon 

 the skilfuliioss of his first call, and several times the bark 

 trumpet was withdrawn from his lips before he made up 

 his mind to the effort. 



At length he called ; softly, and with a slight quaver, 

 the plaintive sound was drawn forth, a2)i)arently from the 



