d not like me, and put out its
funny little tongue whenever I looked at it.

By-and-by the rain began to strike against the windows, and Mr. Maxwell
said, "This is just the night for a story. Tell us something out of your
experience, won't you, Mr. Wood?"

"What shall I tell you?" he said, good-humoredly. He was sitting between
his wife and Mr. Harry, and had his hand on Mr. Harry's knee.

"Something about animals," said Mr. Maxwell. "We seem to be on that
subject to-day."

"Well," said Mr. Wood, "I'll talk about something that has been running
in my head for many a day. There is a good deal of talk nowadays about
kindness to domestic animals; but I do not hear much about kindness
to wild ones. The same Creator formed them both. I do not see why you
should not protect one as well as the other. I have no more right to
torture a bear than a cow. Our wild animals around here are getting
pretty well killed off, but there are lots in other places. I used to be
fond of hunting when I was a boy; but I have got rather disgusted with
killing these late years, and unless the wild creatures ran in our
streets, I would lift no hand to them. Shall I tell you some of the
sport we had when I was youngster?"

"Yes, yes!" they all exclaimed.

CHAPTER XXIII TRAPPING WILD ANIMALS

"WELL," Mr. Wood began: "I was brought up, as you all know, in the eastern
part of Maine, and we often used to go over into New Brunswick for our
sport. Moose were our best game. Did you ever see one, Laura?"

"No, uncle," she said.

"Well, when I was a boy there was no more beautiful sight to me in the
world than a moose with his dusky hide, and long legs, and branching
antlers, and shoulders standing higher than a horse's. Their legs are so
long that they can't eat close to the ground. They browse on the tops of
plants, and the tender shoots and leaves of trees. They walk among
the thick underbrush, carrying their horns adroitly to prevent their
catching in the branches, and they step so well, and aim so true, that
you'll scarcely hear a twig fall as they go.

"They're a timid creature except at times. Then they'll attack with
hoofs and antlers whatever comes in their way. They hate mosquitoes,
and when they're tormented by them it's just as well to be careful about
approaching them. Like all other creatures, the Lord has put into them
a wonderful amount of sense, and when a female moose has her one or two
fawns she goes into the deepest part o