had startled several grouse
during the day, and once he detected the plunging of a moose. But
nothing came within the range of his rifle except a few noisy
squirrels, but upon these he did not dare to waste his two remaining
cartridges. In his extremity he would have welcomed the sight of a
bear, and even a grizzly at that. He could then afford to exhaust his
ammunition, as the flesh of a bear would last him for many days. But
no bear had he met, although signs of them were at times abundant,
especially in the valleys.

The next morning in a mood of desperation, he took a long shot at a
flying grouse and missed it. One cartridge now remained, and it was
absolutely necessary to reserve that for something large. Down the
valley lay a big wide meadow, and here he believed he might find a
moose feeding. It was worth trying, at any rate. Walking warily along
the edge of the forest, he was at length rewarded by seeing a fine
animal some distance off on the opposite side of the meadow. Reynolds
instantly stopped, and his hands trembled through the excitement of his
discovery. If he could get a little closer he felt sure that the moose
would be his. But just as he took a few steps forward, the animal
lifted its great head and sniffed the air. There was not a second to
lose, so bringing the rifle to his shoulder, he took a quick aim and
fired. With a startled snort, the moose reared, staggered, and then
with tremendous leaps bounded across the twenty or thirty yards of
intervening meadow and vanished in the forest. Reynolds could hear it
crashing its way among the trees as he hurried out into the open. The
sounds grew fainter and fainter, and finally ceased. The animal had
made good its escape, although evidently wounded.

Reynolds' previous discouragement was nothing to what he experienced
now. He moved mechanically toward the spot where the moose had been
grazing. Why he did so he could not tell. He reached the border of
the forest, and flung himself down upon the grass. With his last
cartridge gone, what chance had he of life? He had been in many a dire
strait in the past, but nothing to equal this. He was face to face
with death, more surely and in a far more terrible form than he had
ever encountered in far off France.

"This is certainly 'No Man's Land,'" he muttered. "I do not believe a
human being ever trod this region before and it is not likely that
anyone will come here during the next one h