EPISODES 



397 



A good hunter, although still a great way off, will not 

 only perceive that there is a yard in the vicinity, but can 

 tell the direction in which it lies, and even be pretty sure 

 of the distance. It is by the marks on the trees that he 

 discovers this circumstance; he finds the young maple, 

 and especially the moose-wood and birch, with the bark 

 gnawed off to the height of five or six feet on one side, 

 and the twigs bitten, with the impression of the teeth left 

 in such a manner, that the position of the animal when 

 browsing on them, may be ascertained. Following the 

 course indicated by these marks, the hunter gradually 

 finds them more distinct and frequent, until at length he 

 arrives at the yard ; but there he finds no Moose, for long 

 before he reaches the place, their extremely acute smell 

 and hearing warn them of his approach, when they leave 

 the yard, generally altogether, the strongest leading in 

 one track, or in two or three parties. When pursued 

 they usually separate, except the females, which keep with 

 their young, and go before to break the track for them ; 

 nor will they leave them under any circumstances until 

 brought down by their ruthless pursuers. The males, 

 especially the old ones, being quite lean at this season, 

 go off at great speed, and unless the snow is extremely 

 deep, soon outstrip the hunters. They usually go in the 

 direction of the wind, making many short turns to keep 

 the scent, or to avoid some bad passage; and although 

 they may sink to the bottom at every step, they cannot be 

 overtaken in less than three or four days. The females, 

 on the contrary, are remarkably fat, and it is not at all 

 unfrcquent to find in one of them a hundred pounds of 

 raw tallow. But let us return to the young buck, which 

 had regained the yard. 



We found him still more untractable than the female 

 we had left in the hovel ; he had trodden down the snow 

 for a small space around him, which he refused to leave, 

 and would spring with great fury at any one who ap- 



