314 FOUR-FOOTED AMERICANS 



" Do they live in barnyards in winter ? " asked Dodo ; 

 " and if they do who feeds them ? " 



"Not much they don't. Yards are places where 

 there are food trees and bushes growing handy so that 

 two or three Moose families can live there all winter, 

 treadin' trails through the snow to the trees to feed, 

 and when they've eat up everything they can reach, 

 bark and all, they move on. This time when Dom'nick 

 and me started out, the Moose were reckless, as they 

 are at this time o' year. We'd heard them crashin' 

 through the woods, beatin' their horns in the bushes, 

 and callin' in the night araound the clearin', for they 

 don't seem to mind the noise of axes choppin' so long 

 as no one fires a gun. 



" We tied on our heaviest moccasins, made out o' the 

 hind-leg skin o' Moose, took our rifles and small packs, 

 and started down toward the ma'sh land. I tell you it 

 was cold ! The fog was thick as smoke too, but it let 

 up after a spell and then began to snow again. After 

 crossin' raound about for some time and tryin' to keep 

 headed to the wind, which wasn't easy, for sometimes 

 it wouldn't blow at all, and then it would whisk up 

 squally from anywhere. 



" ' Tracks soon be covaired ! See here Moose vas 

 been ! Big Moose vary angry, tore tree, here him 

 eat,' said Dom'nick, who was a Canady Frenchy, but 

 talked choppy like a half-breed. 



" ' Yes, but all that wasn't sense last night when the 

 snow come,' said I. Jest at this minit we struck a 

 trail comin' from over across a deep, black ma'sh, 

 makin' toward the higher wood. Dom'nick stooped 

 down and looked careful. 



