til Pompey, slower but with the 
strength and sureness of a demon, 
closed on the kill. 
O MeNeil this spring night gave 
cause for gratitude. Last year his 
crops had yielded a plentiful supply; 
his beasts had come well through the 
winter and now lay in ruminant con- 
tent about the 
barn; an occasional 
tinkle of the bell 
told that old Light- 
foot still chewed 
her cud, or a heavy 
sigh from some 
well-fed beast at- 
tested the general 
satisfaction; and 
now a commission 
had come from 
John McBean, the 
Hudson’s Bay fac- 
tor at Island Lake, 
asking him to 
bring down a 
bunch of young 
moose calves for 
shipment to two 
great parks in the 
South. 
He turned to his 
wife who now 
joined him, and 
said: 
oThe moose 
calves will soon be 
coming, Mother. 
When do you think 
we should start out 
after them?” And 
the wise woman, 
who knew her man 
and had seen for 
days that it would 
only be a matter of 
time until the 
woods called him 
on his early trip, 
replied, “You don’t 
want to let them 
grow so big you 
can’t catch them; 
and you’ve that or- 
der to fill for the 
Parks, too, haven’t 
you?” 
proure right, 
Mother,” said Mc- 
Neil, “as usual! 
They say they want a pair of young 
bulls tamed as far as possible; and 
these other people say they’ll take all 
the young moose of good quality I 
can send them. 
*““T' HEY’LL need a special train, for 
there’ll be lots of them on the 
Whirlpool.” 
“T suppose you’ll be going and tak- 
f , 
Photo courtesy Victoria and Island Publicity Bureau 
ing the boys anyway,” replied his 
wife, “and if McBean’s folk are satis- 
fied with what you send, there’ll be a 
nice bit of money that we can use fine 
to send the boys to school.” 
“Yes, Mother. You may go to the 
Post in the winter, but I wouldn’t be 
right without a spell in the woods. 
So if you'll let me take the boys, we'll 

Aish (a Ra ai A ds 
“This riotous river of the North is born within the hollow fastnesses of deep 
ravines, the steep and rugged sides of which are clothed with forests” 
start just aS soon as you can give us 
grub enough.” 
His wife laughed softly and placing 
her hands upon his shoulders, smiled 
up into his face. “You dear big boy,” 
she said, “I’ve known for days you 
were aching to get off to your wilder- 
ness, so I’ve been busy, and have every- 
thing you need all ready.” 
McNeil kissed his wife and calling 
to the boys, said, “Mother says you 
may come with me on a trip for Moose 
calves, and we’re starting tomorrow.” 
Two Indian yells greeted this announce- 
ment, and McNeil continued, ‘“You’d 
better get off to bed, for if you’re 
coming with me you'll be moving 
early.” A second warning was not 
needed. They went inside and stillness 
soon settled down 
upon the house. 
While Angus 
McNeil and his 
family slept, a 
mother moose, far 
to the Northward, 
watched with zeal- 
ous care over her 
new-born babies— 
two furry brown 
bundles, hardly 
distinguish- 
able from the 
brown earth and 
brushwood where 
they lay dozing 
most of the time, 
with long legs 
folded under their 
gaunt bodies, long 
heads stretched out 
at full length along 
the ground and 
wide ears laid back 
along their necks. 
O little did they 
move and _ so 
closely did they 
shade into their 
setting, that the 
keenest eye might 
have passed them 
unaware. 
She had selected 
their birthplace 
with the strategic 
skill of a Colonel 
of Engineers. In 
from the lake’s 
edge a hundred 
yards among the 
heavy under- 
growth, backed by 
the wooded hill be- 
hind and flanked 
by deadwood slash, 
it was_ sheltered 
from the _ winds, 
safe from attack, 
and in the lake, the lily pads she 
loved grew larger and more luscious 
day by day. In case of a very great 
or sudden danger, her natural escape 
would be by water; for, in a few days 
the youngsters would follow her among 
the lily pads and inside the week she 
would swim them across the lake for 
a lesson. 
No human foot would ever invade 
71 
