move on
the part of the determined animal. Twice it looked as though success was
about to crown the effort of the moose.

"Keep going!" Phil told him, encouragingly, as he tapped the animal's
nose with the toe of his shoe, just to keep his temper up, so he might
not get weary of his task; "one good turn deserves another. The third
time takes the cake. Just manage to get your old horns through first,
and then you can push that big head after, as easy as pie. That's the
way. Whoop! he's really done it!"

Of course the moose could not understand the explicit directions which
Phil was only too willingly handing him; but by some chance he did
manage to get his obstructive horns through, and then follow with his
head; though his shoulders would prevent him from going only so far.
Phil thought he had been neatly trapped, and his next move was of course
to slip out of the circle by another exit.

"Wonder now if I dare skip out, and leave him there?"

Phil asked himself this as he saw that the moose had already taken the
alarm over his condition, and was acting wildly, twisting his head in
every direction, and straining to drag it out.

"What if his horns gave way, or broke off? Oh! that time he came within
an ace of getting free! He may be smarter than a turtle, and remember
how he pushed in. I'd be in a bad box if he did get free, and chased
after me again lickety-split!"

Phil believed it was his best policy to stay there, and watch a while
longer, just to see what the animal would do. If some time passed, and
the moose did not seem able to extricate himself from his sad dilemma,
then Phil believed he could take his hurried departure; though he meant
to snap off a picture of the animal first.

"Might as well do that same now, while I have the chance," he went on to
say; and stepping well back to where he could get a fine view of the
imprisoned moose, he again made use of his camera to advantage.

Hardly had he done so than he saw the animal twisting his head again in
a way that threatened to bring about the catastrophe which Phil dreaded.
In fact the boy had only time to once more hurriedly gain the shelter of
the clump of trees when he saw the moose withdraw his head from its
yoke.

"Well, it looks like you might be a smart one," muttered Phil, as he
found himself once more fast in the trap, with the enraged animal
striking at him with his hoofs, and making all sorts of queer noises
that might be taken for threat