s.

When this had gone on for nearly half an hour, and there was no sign of
a cessation, Phil started to exercise his wits again. First he began an
investigation of his pockets to see if there might not be some means for
bringing this ridiculous and uncomfortable situation to an end.

"What's this?" he exclaimed, as he drew forth a small package and stared
at it, as if unable on the spur of the moment to understand what it was
or how it came to be there; then it flashed upon him, and he gave a wild
shout of joy.

"Why, would you believe it, this must be the little paper of black
pepper I had in my pack. Lub was asking for some this morning, while
cooking breakfast; and when he handed it back to me I must have dropped
it in my pocket without thinking what I was doing, meaning to put it on
the shelf when I stood up. Hurrah! if ever a pinch of pepper was worth
its weight in gold that time is now. It seems mighty cruel to do such a
thing, but what else is left to me?"

Of course it was an easy thing to get close enough to the moose to
scatter some of the pepper over his head. It did seem a cruel thing to
do, and Phil would never tell the story without a feeling of shame; but
he considered that his life was at stake, and hence he was justified in
going to such extreme measures.

The actions of the bull moose immediately told that the siege was going
to be called off without delay. He shook his head, snorted furiously,
and then turning galloped away. Phil saw him collide with a tree before
he passed from view, and the sight caused him to utter an exclamation of
pity.

"But he'll pull through it in time," the boy was saying, as he came out
of his place of refuge; "by to-morrow it'll be pretty nearly over. I
wonder if he's learned a lesson, and will give two-legged strangers a
wide berth after this. Well, it was all his own fault. He had no need to
get into such a tearing rage because I took his picture. But let me tell
you I'm as tired as if I'd been running a ten mile race. Every muscle in
my body aches from the sudden jumps I had to give."

Phil felt that on the whole he had come out of the scrape with honors.
And whenever he looked at that picture of the moose with his head fast
among the saplings, it would be apt to remind him forcibly of the
adventure.

"No more tramping for me to-day," he continued, shaking his head; "I've
had good and plenty of it. The rest can wait for another time. Even if I
didn't snap off