fond of hunting when I was a boy; but I have got rather disgusted with
killing these late years, and unless the wild creatures ran in our
streets, I would lift no hand to them. Shall I tell you some of the
sport we had when I was a youngster?"

"Yes, yes!" they all exclaimed.

* * * * *

CHAPTER XXIII

TRAPPING WILD ANIMALS

"Well," Mr. Wood began. "I was brought up, as you all know, in the
eastern part of Maine, and we often used to go over into New Brunswick
for our sport. Moose were our best game. Did you ever see one, Laura?"

"No, uncle," she said.

"Well, when I was a boy there was no more beautiful sight to me in the
world than a moose with his dusky hide, and long legs, and branching
antlers, and shoulders standing higher than a horse's. Their legs are so
long that they can't eat close to the ground. They browse on the tops of
plants, and the tender shoots and leaves of trees. They walk among the
thick underbrush, carrying their horns adroitly to prevent their
catching in the branches, and they step so well, and aim so true, that
you'll scarcely hear a twig fall as they go.

"They're a timid creature except at times. Then they'll attack with
hoofs and antlers whatever comes in their way. They hate mosquitoes, and
when they're tormented by them it's just as well to be careful about
approaching them. Like all other creatures, the Lord has put into them a
wonderful amount of sense, and when a female moose has her one or two
fawns she goes into the deepest part of the forest, or swims to islands
in large lakes, till they are able to look out for themselves.

"Well, we used to like to catch a moose, and we had different ways of
doing it. One way was to snare them. We' d make a loop in a rope and
hide it on the ground under the dead leaves in one of their paths. This
was connected with a young sapling whose top was bent down. When the
moose stepped on the loop it would release the sapling, and up it would
bound, catching him by the leg. These snares were always set deep in the
woods, and we couldn't visit them very often. Sometimes the moose would
be there for days, raging and tearing around, and scratching the skin
off his legs. That was cruel. I wouldn't catch a moose in that way now
for a hundred dollars.

"Another way was to hunt them on snow shoes with dogs. In February and
March the snow was deep, and would carry men and dogs. Moose don't go
together