Phutu bv George Sliiras, 3rd 

 VIEW OF SKILAK LAKE FROM OUR CAMP (SEE PAGE 439) 



A COW MOOSE THAT BECAME SELF- 

 EDUCATED 



"Caribou Island Camp, 



"August I /—Titer., 74-38. 

 "Just before noon the wind veered to 

 the south, coming well offshore. Char- 

 lie paddled me across the bay to the 

 blind and then went after a mess of 

 partridges. 



"I was hardly in ambush before the 

 old cow moose was at a mud hole op- 

 posite, drinking a gallon or two of the 

 muddy mixture. So active was the ef- 

 fect upon the salivary glands that long 

 strings of saliva drooled to the ground 

 (see also pages 443 and 448). 



''Determined to try for a close picture 

 and to test her disposition when thus 

 interrupted, I boldly walked in view, 

 crossing the bare and much-trampled 

 field to within 50 feet. She stood broad- 

 side, head up, and unquestionably look- 

 ing at me out of one eye, but to all ap- 

 pearances utterly indiiferent to my ap- 

 proach (see page 451). Taking a pic- 

 ture, I went a little closer, when she 

 turned away without looking, and again 

 the camera recorded the scene. 



"While changing plate-holders, I was 

 surprised to see the moose turn about 

 and come toward me on a slow trot. To 

 th-e uninitiated this would probably have 



meant a bold charge, and to the nature 

 faker sufficient grounds for an excitino- 

 story. The animal was now so close 

 that I could notice the nostrils working 

 convulsively, and could see that if let 

 alone she would pass to my leeward 

 about five feet — the first position in 

 which she could get the scent without 

 coming at me directly (see page 453). 



"Wishing to avoid alarming her so 

 soon, I backed across the field to the 

 edge of the marsh, but she still followed. 

 Turning my back to the animal, I walked 

 ahead, and upon reaching a place where 

 the ground was almost impassable with 

 fallen timber, I stopped. By this time I 

 noticed that she had crossed my tracks, 

 and thinking perhaps I was mistaken 

 about her wishing to get the scent I 

 awaited developments. The cow imme- 

 diately came up, circled almost within 

 reach, and then was struck by the scent. 

 "The effect was instantaneous and 

 remarkable. Sinking back on her 

 haunches, I noticed that the shoulders 

 trembled violently, just as though a rifle 

 ball had penetrated her through and 

 through, and then, with a quick awk- 

 ward plunge, she made off at her fastest 

 gait. And thus this innocent and impas- 

 sive animal suddenly revealed its in- 

 herited dread of human scent." 



447 



