ome amusement: "Let me have
that horn, and I will show you how it ought to be done. You boys watch
the woods and be ready to run."
Then putting the birch horn to his mouth he cooed out such a tender moo-
oo-o-o that the boys were fairly startled by the similarity of its sound
to the familiar notes in the barnyards at home; but soon other things
excited them, for hardly had the echoes of Big Tom's mooings died away
before there came rushing out from the forest the two moose calves. On
they came directly toward the spot where Big Tom had uttered his call.
So sudden had been their appearance that all remained perfectly still to
watch their movements. Certain that they had heard their mother, they
were now anxiously looking for her. They were a pair of fine-looking
moose calves, about three months old, and so it was resolved, if
possible, to capture them alive and tame them. It turned out not so
easy a matter as had been anticipated. With as little display as
possible the boys and Indians tried to surround them before they become
alarmed. So confident did the young creatures seem that they had heard
their mother that it was some time before they became suspicious of
danger, and then only when they were about encircled by the hunters.
Then the fun began. Turning toward the point in the forest from which
they had emerged, they made a dash for liberty. Frank and Alec threw
themselves on one, and getting their arms around its neck made a
desperate effort to hold it. They were amazed at its strength, as it
easily carried them along, and not until they succeeded in tripping it
up and throwing it on the ground were they able to hold it.
Sam and a young Indian tackled the other one, and found him much more
pugnacious. With a vicious kick he struck the Indian in the stomach,
who at once decided that he had had enough of that sport and quickly
retired, leaving Sam now to struggle with him alone. Sam at first
seized him by his long ears, but was unable to bring force enough to
arrest his progress in that way. Then he tried to seize him by the
neck, but a few strong blows with his fore feet made that a difficult
and dangerous task, and so Sam had to let go. This seemed to interest
the calf, and so from being the one attacked he became the aggressor.
The pugnacity of the calf, and the lively way in which he butted his
opponent, caused great amusement to the onlookers. Sam could not stand
this, and so he threw himself d
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