i\r^Z' BIG MOOSE 317 



crashin' and thrashiii' in the bushes a little way ahead. 

 I listened ; the animal that made it wasn't runnin', but 

 seemed to be beatin' around in one place. I crawled 

 along careful, lookin' fer trees big 'nough to climb if 

 a big Moose charged at me, for I'd been hearin' tall 

 stories of how skeery they are most of the year; they'll 

 fight anythin' or anyljody they think is chasin' their 

 mate. I didn't have to look long. Down the gap I 

 saw a Moose, near as big as the one I'd shot, bangin' 

 and batterin' away with his horns at an old spruce, and 

 up the tree, sittin' on a rotten old branch not a foot above 

 the Moose's reach, was Dom'nick, without his gun ! 



" I huri'ied along then with my rifle ready, for I 

 reckoned the branch he was holt to wouldn't last long, 

 and I couldn't git an aim on the Moose where I was. 

 The Moose didn't notice me a bit, though I made some 

 noise, but kept poundin' at the tree. Then I fired, but 

 my hand shook and the Moose swung his head araound, 

 give one snort, and started off into the bog. I had clean 

 missed him. 



"'You vary poor shot I' said Dom'nick, tumblin' out 

 of the tree, for the limb broke clean off jest then. 



" I was mad, but I'd seen enough o' Injun manners to 

 keep cool, so I sez, sez I, ' We've got 'nough Moose 

 meat five miles better to camp than here. I jest wasted 

 a shot to let you out o' that fix! Where's yer own 

 gun ? ' 



"Dom'nick looked at me, and then he laughed and 

 clapped me on the back, and said, 'You hav' ze good 

 luck, I hav' ze bad, so I tell you. I walk long way, 

 find two bull Moose fightin', makin' each odder bleed 

 wiz horns; cow track run away home to marsh. I 



