er, well weighted. They will
then drown in a few moments, and may thus be secured.

The last two traps were not sprung.

"A big thing this!" muttered Rod. "Had our labor for our pains. Too
bad."

We were near the edge of the cranberry flat; and just as Rod was
bemoaning our poor luck, a slight crackling out in the thick cranberry
bushes came to our ears.

"Hark!" whispered Rod; "something out there. The bear, perhaps."

Standing on tiptoe, we peeped quietly over the tops of the bushes, now
laden with the green cranberries. Off some seventeen or eighteen rods,
something was slowly moving. We could see it plainly--something which,
at first sight, looked like the roots of an old dry pine stump, a
great mass of stubs and prongs.

"A moose!" exclaimed Rod, in an eager whisper. "A moose browsing the
cranberries! Quick with your rifle! Together now!"

We both fired. The huge animal, fully nine feet in height beneath his
antlers, bounded into the air at the reports, with a wild, hoarse cry,
which I can compare to nothing I have ever heard for hideousness. In a
frightful way it resembled the neigh of a horse, or, rather, the loud
squeal of that animal when bitten or otherwise hurt--bounded up, then
fell, floundering and wallowing amid the cranberries, uttering
hideous moans.

As quickly as we could for the thick and tangled bushes, we made our
way out towards the spot. The fearful struggles stilled as we drew
near. Our aim, at so short a distance, had been thoroughly fatal. A
great opening in the bushes had been smashed down, in the midst of
which lay the moose, with its large nostrils dilated, gasping and
quivering. But its great ox eyes were set, and rapidly glazing. The
bushes were all besprinkled and drenched with blood. One bullet had
struck and broken the skull into the brain; that was Rod's. Mine had
gone into the breast, striking the lungs,--probably, from the profuse
bleeding.

"A pretty good shot!" exclaimed Rod, looking upon the slaughter from a
purely business stand-point. "Moosehide is always worth something. So
are those antlers. A noble set--aren't they? All of four feet broad
across the top. Pretty heavy to lug; we can put them in the canoe,
though."

"Then there's the meat," said I.

"That's so," cried Rod, smacking his lips. "No more rabbit's broth for
us at present. O, won't we have some grand moose steaks! Do you hear
that, old boy? How does that strike your fancy? Come, let's skin him,
and cu