I06 Field and Forest Rambles. 



selves within a stone.'s throw of the home they had aban- 

 doned in the morning, whilst the crackling of the fire and 

 red-hot ashes raged on every side ; — how on the following 

 morning, as they sought to escape by forest paths, the 

 frightened moose, caribou, bears, lynxes, etc., and partridges, 

 were constantly hurrying past, and how on their arrival at the 

 banks of the Miramachi, two of the former nearly ran over 

 them on their way towards the river, into which they dashed 

 and swam to the opposite bank. The desolation worked by 

 the fire on the above occasion was marvellous ; so changed 

 were the physical features of the country that the narrator, 

 when he returned to his farm soon afterwards, was at first 

 unable to identify his property, until absolutely at the door 

 of the dwelling, which owing to a swamp on one side and a 

 large tract of clearing on the other, had been saved from the 

 general destruction which overtook everything in any way 

 combustible. 



While contemplating the scene of this terrible fire, suddenly, 

 on my right, there came forth from the forest loud shouts of 

 men and bellowings of dogs. At once divining the cause, I 

 made for the wood with all speed, and had just gained the 

 moose-yard when a female elk came crashing through the cover, 

 and passed within a few yards of me, pursued by the dogs, who, 

 running nimbly on the frozen crust, hung about her flanks, 

 yelping and barking, whilst she was making laborious efforts 

 to escape. Now and then she suddenly sank to the shoulders ; 

 again her hind-quarters would almost disappear ; sometimes 

 I lost sight of the pursued and pursuers, as the former 

 doubled backwards and forwards in the denser parts of 

 the woods, where the snow was not so heavy as in the 

 barren and along its skirts. Twice or oftener I came within 

 easy shooting distance, and was reproached by my hench- 

 man for not firing, and perhaps had I known the sufferings in 

 store for the poor brute I might have been induced then and 

 there to put an end to the chase ; but having that morning 



