128 Ways of Wood Folk. 



swiftly along the bank, turned and came swinging 

 back again, all the while uttering his hoarse challenge. 

 Then the canoe swung in the slight current; in get- 

 ting control of it ag;ain the movement attracted his 

 attention, and he saw me for the first time. In a 

 moment he was down the bank into shallow water, 

 striking with his hoofs and tossing his huge head 

 up and down like an angry bull. Fortunately the 

 water was deep, and he did not try to swim out ; for 

 there was not a weapon of any kind in the canoe. 



When I started down towards the lake, after bait- 

 ing the bull's fury awhile by shaking the paddle and 

 splashing water at him, he followed me along the 

 bank, keeping up his threatening demonstrations. 

 Down near the lake he plunged suddenly ahead 

 before I realized the danger, splashed out into the 

 narrow opening in front of the canoe — and there I 

 was, trapped. 



It was dark when I at last got out of it. To get by 

 the ugly beast in that narrow opening was out of the 

 question, as I found out after a half-hour's trying. 

 Just at dusk I turned the canoe and paddled slowly 

 back ; and the moose, leaving his post, followed as 

 before along the bank. At the upper side of a little 

 bay I paddled close up to shore, and waited till he 

 ran round, almost up to me, before backing out into 

 deep water. Splashing seemed to madden the brute, 



