28 BIG GAME OF NORTH AMERICA. 



they were so tempting that we were moved to go in search 

 of the first that appeared. We killed two of the choicest 

 to be found. This meat, too, we placed in our larder, for the 

 sake of variety. 



A month later, Moose were reported, by one of the trap- 

 pers, to be plentiful half a mile up the creek. The story 

 he told of the great, shaggy beasts filled us with the spirit 

 of the chase. We must have a Moose's nose. No other 

 article of diet that we could think of possessed such charm 

 for our party, just then, as the Moose's nose; and a Moose's 

 nose we must have. The snow was only about a foot deep, 

 so we tramped out along the trails, in the old-fashioned 

 way, for a still-hunt. To our surprise, we found the game 

 very plentiful, and as tame, almost, as domestic cattle. 

 They evidently had taken possession of the winter range 

 that had been theirs exclusively for ages, and Seemed 

 undisturbed by intrusion. 



The first Moose encountered was a cow. She wore a 

 shaggy, faded coat and a sickly look, so we did not kill 

 her. She moved lifelessly, like a poor domestic cow. She 

 moped about, and secluded herself in the willows where she 

 had been browsing. We consulted, and decided that she 

 must be sick; but imagine our surprise when the next one, a 

 bull, was discovered trying to conceal himself in a clump 

 of willows. 



We were all so near together that each waited for the 

 other to propose the manner of attack; so one of the 

 boys, being inexperienced and noted for his bad marksman- 

 ship, was detailed to shoot the poor old bull, some of- the 

 more generous sportsmen declaring themselves too kind- 

 hearted to' shoot a sick animal. At the crack of the boy's 

 rifle, the great, rough-coated mountain-monarch reeled and, 

 with a groan that was half a cry of agony, fell heavily to 

 the ground. He was found to be in fine condition for the 

 winter season. 



We feasted on hump, and discussed the peculiar action of 

 the game we saw that day, until far into the night; they 

 were so different from the sly animals we had hunted in 



