356 THE DEER OF AMERICA. 
broken limbs and rough granite rocks often cause a severe bruise 
or fall to the hunter. It was, as Joe said, a ‘grand place’ for 
calling the Moose, as in some spots the country could be scanned 
for miles around, whilst the numerous small bushes and rock 
bowlders would afford a ready concealment from the quick sight 
of this animal. However, time would show. If calling could 
not be attempted next morning, it would most likely be suitable 
for creeping; so, hoping for a calm morning and a clear sky, or, 
at all events for a cessation of the rain, we stretched ourselves for 
repose ; and the pattering drops and the crackling and snapping 
of the logs on the fire, and the hooting of the owls in the distant 
forest, became less and less heeded or heard, till sleep translated 
us to the land of dreams. 
“ To our disgust, it still rained when we awoke next morning; 
the wind was in the same direction, and the same gloomy sky 
promised no better things for us that day. The old Indian, how- 
ever, drew on his mocasins, and started off to the barren by 
himself, to take a survey of the country whilst the breakfast was 
preparing, and I gloomily threw myself back on the blanket for 
another snooze. After an hour or so’s absence, Joe returned and 
sat down to his breakfast (we had finished our’s and were smok- 
ing), looking very wet and excited. ‘Two Moose pass round 
close to camp last night,’ said he. ‘I find their tracks on bar- 
ven. They gone down the little valley towards the lake, and I 
see their tracks again in the woods quite fresh. You get ready, 
Capten; I have notion we see Moose to-day. J see some more 
tracks on the barren going southward; however, we try the 
tracks near camp first, — may be we find them, if not started by 
the smell of the fire.’ 
‘«We were soon at it; and left our camp with hopeful hearts, 
and in Indian file, stepping lightly in each other’s tracks over the 
elastic moss. Everything was in first-rate order for creeping on 
the Moose ; the fallen leaves did not rustle on the ground, and 
even dead sticks bent without snapping, and we progressed rap- 
idly and noiselessly as cats towards the lake. Presently we came 
on the tracks, here and there deeply impressed on a bare spot of 
soil, but on the moss hardly discernible, except to the Indian’s 
keen vision. They were going down the valley; a little brook 
coursed through it towards the lake, and from the mossy banks 
sprung graceful bushes of moose-wood and maple, on the young 
shoots of which the Moose had been feeding as they passed. The 
tracks showed that they were a young bull and a cow, those of 
