Lake Umbagog.
Moose Point.
1896
August 27
(No 3)
  Presently a pair of Black Ducks passed high overhead.
I was watching intently for more when I heard a loud,
regular slosh, slosh, slosh in the direction of the dead
larch forest which borders the marsh on its northern side.
Looking towards the point from which this sound came I was
surprised to see a large black object emerge from the stubs
and move steadily out into the open marsh. When I first
put my glass on it I took it to be a Horse for it
resembled that animal in its grand form as well as in
its manner of walking and I could see what looked like
a long & flowing white tail. "Some beast that has strayed
from the Megalloway settlement & become lost in the woods"
I said to myself. Slosh, slosh slosh as it plodden[sic] [plodded] slowly 
and laboriously on through the deep, soft mud; then, as
two loud reports from a gun fired by one the Crocker
youths rang over the marsh and sent back crashing echoes
from the background of dry stubs, the beast stopped,
raised its head and erected a pair of huge ass-like ears.
A succession of thrills ran through me, my hands shook
until I could positively see nothing through the field glass
for at that instant I realized for the first time that I
was looking at a big Moose. Presently I got my nerves
under control again and sitting perfectly still with
the glass glued to my eyes watched the animal intently
as it made its [delete]slow[/delete] way slowly towards me stopping
occasionally to fed on the young [delete]sprouting[/delete] grass which
has sprouted since the water fell and always halting 
and raising its head and ears when, as happened every few
minutes, the Crocker party fired at the incoming Ducks
the whistling of whose wings scarce attracted my hearing
and wholly failed to distract my attention as flock after