tree, I was no better off than before, except that it
brought me some twenty paces nearer home. The moose--still stood in
front of me only a few feet distant, and threatening as fiercely as
ever.

"After waiting some minutes for my breath, I selected a third tree in
the right direction, and made for it in a similar manner, the moose
following as before.

"Another rest and another run brought me behind a fresh tree, and
another and another, until I must have made a full mile through the
woods, still followed by my implacable and untiring enemy. I knew,
however, that I was going homeward, for I guided myself by the trail
which we had made in the chase.

"I was in hopes that I might make the whole back-journey in this way,
when all at once I perceived that the heavy timber came to an end, and a
wide, almost open tract intersected the country, over this the trees
were small stunted pines, far apart, and offering no hope of shelter
from my relentless persecutor.

"I had no alternative now but to remain where I was, and await the
arrival of my friend, who, I presumed, would come after me as soon as he
had finished his own hunt.

"With this dubious hope, I kept my stand, although I was ready to drop
with fatigue. To add to my misery, it commenced snowing. I saw this
with feelings akin to terror, for I knew that the snow would soon blind
the trail; and how, then, was my friend to follow it, and find me? The
bull still stood before me in the same threatening attitude,
occasionally snorting, striking the ground with his hoofs, and ready to
spring after me whenever I should move. Ever as I changed the attitude
of my body, he would start forward again, until I could almost touch him
with the muzzle of my gun.

"These manoeuvres on his part suggested to me an experiment, and I
wondered that I had not thought of it before. I was not long in
resolving to carry it out. I was armed with a stout hunting-knife, a
bowie; it was pointed as sharp as a needle; and could I only have
ventured near enough to the bull, I would soon have settled the dispute
with him. The idea now occurred to me of converting my bowie into a
lance by splicing it upon the barrel of my gun. With this I had hopes
of being able to reach my powerful assailant without coming within range
either of his hoofs or horns.

"The lance was soon made, a pair of buckskin gaiters which I wore
furnished me with thongs. My gun happened to be a long rifle; and th