met me running back on the
trail on three legs only, and woefully mangled. The moose was standing
in a snow-pit, which had been trodden out by the animals while battling,
and near his feet lay the other dog, mutilated in a most fearful manner,
and evidently quite dead. The bull, in his rage, still continued to
assail the dead body of the hound, rising and pouncing down upon it with
his fore-hoofs until the ribs cracked under the concussion!

"On seeing me, he again struck into the snow, and made off; I saw,
however, that his limbs were much lacerated by the frozen crust, and
that he ran slowly, leaving red tracks behind him.

"I did not stop by the dogs--one being dead, and the survivor but little
better--but kept on after the game.

"We had now got into a tract where the snow lay of more than usual
depth, and my snow-shoes enabled me to skim along faster than the moose
himself, that I could easily perceive was growing feebler at every
plunge. I saw that I was gaining upon him, and would soon be alongside.
The woods through which we were passing were pretty open, and I could
note every movement of the chase.

"I had got within a hundred yards of him, and was thinking of firing at
him as he ran, when all at once he came to a stop, and wheeling suddenly
round, stood facing me. His huge antlers were thrown back until they
touched his withers; his mane stood erect; all the hair upon his body
seemed to bristle forward; and his whole attitude was one of rage and
defiance: he was altogether as formidable-looking an enemy as it had
ever been my lot to encounter.

"My first thought, on getting near enough, was to raise my rifle and
fire, which I did. I aimed for his chest, that was fair before me; but
I shot wide, partly because my fingers were numbed with cold, and partly
because the sun at the moment flashed in my eyes as I glanced along the
barrel. I hit the moose, however, but in a part that was not mortal--in
the shoulder.

"The shot enraged him, and without waiting for me to re-load, he dashed
madly forward and towards me; a few plunges brought him up, and I had no
resource but to get behind a tree.

"Fortunately there were some large pines in the neighbourhood, and
behind one of these I took shelter--not, however, before the enraged
animal had almost impaled me upon his antlers. As I slipped behind the
trunk, he was following me so close that his horns came in contact with
the tree, causing it to vibrate b