made for the
land.

A great sob came from the bushes, then others at intervals. Quonab
showed his teeth and pointed. Rolf seized his rifle, Skookum sprang from
the boat, and a little later was heard letting off his war-cry in the
bushes not far away.

The men rushed forward, guns in hand, but Quonab called, "Look out!
Maybe he waiting."

"If he is, he'll likely get one of us." said Rolf, with a light laugh,
for he had some hearsay knowledge of moose.

Covered each by a tree, they waited till Van had reloaded his
double-barrelled, then cautiously approached. The great frothing sobs
had resounded from time to time.

Skookum's voice also was heard in the thicket, and when they neared and
glimpsed the place, it was to see the monster on the ground, lying at
full length, dinging up his head at times when he uttered that horrid
sound of pain.

The Indian sent a bullet through the moose's brain; then all was still,
the tragedy was over.

But now their attention was turned to Van Cortlandt. He reeled,
staggered, his knees trembled, his face turned white, and, to save
himself from falling, he sank onto a log. Here he covered his face with
his hands, his feet beat the ground, and his shoulders heaved up and
down.

The others said nothing. They knew by the signs and the sounds that it
was only through a mighty effort that young Van Cortlandt, grown man as
he was, could keep himself from hysterical sobs and tears.

Not then, but the next day it was that Quonab said: "It comes to some
after they kill, to some before, as it came to you, Rolf; to me it came
the day I killed my first chipmunk, that time when I stole my father's
medicine."

They had ample work for several hours now, to skin the game and save the
meat. It was fortunate they were so near home. A marvellous change there
was in the atmosphere of the camp. Twice Quonab spoke to Van Cortlandt,
as the latter laboured with them to save and store the meat of his
moose. He was rubbed, doped, soiled, and anointed with its flesh, hair,
and blood, and that night, as they sat by their camp fire, Skookum
arose, stretched, yawned, walked around deliberately, put his nose
in the lawyer's hand, gave it a lick, then lay down by his feet. Van
Cortlandt glanced at Rolf, a merry twinkle was in the eyes of both.
"It's all right. You can pat Skookum now, without risk of being
crippled. He's sized you up. You are one of us at last;" and Quonab
looked on with two long ivory rows