ation which would require perhaps several hours.

"You might prefer to go ashore here," said Alex, "while we're lying
tied up. We'll blow the whistle in time to call you in before we cast
off."

As Alex did not think there would be any hunting, he concluded to
remain on the boat, but Moise volunteered to walk along the beach with
the boys, to explain anything they might see, and to be of assistance
in case they should happen to meet with any game, although no one
suspected that such would be the case, since the arrival of the boat
had necessarily made considerable disturbance.

"Maybe so we'll seen some of these mooses somewhere," said Moise after
a time. "You'll seen his track on the sand all along."

"That's so," said Rob. "They look just like cattle, don't they? I
should think all the game in the country must be coming down into this
valley to see what's going on. Here's a wolf track, too, big as a
horse's foot, almost. And what are all of these little scratches, like
a cat, on the beach, Moise?"

"Some beevaire, he'll sweem across an' come out here. He'll got a
house somewhere, I'll s'pose. Plenty game on this part of the river
all tam. Plenty meat. My people he'll live here many year. I got some
onkle over on Battle River, an' seven, five, eight cousin on Cadotte
River, not far from here. All good honter, too."

"I can believe that, Moise, after seeing you," said John.

The happy-go-lucky Moise laughed light-heartedly. "If she'll don' hont
on this land, she'll starve sure. A man he'll mus' walk, he'll mus'
hont, he'll mus' portage, he'll mus' trap, he'll mus' walk on the
track-line, an' know how for paddle an' pole, else he'll starve sure."

They walked on down along the narrow beach covered with rough stones,
and showing only here and there enough of the sand or earth to hold a
track. At length, however, Moise gave a sharp word of caution, and
hurriedly motioned them all to get under cover at the bank.

"What is it, Moise?" whispered Rob, eagerly.

"Moose!" He pointed down the bank. For a long time the boys could
discover nothing, but at last they caught sight of a little splash of
water four or five hundred yards below, where a trickling stream
entered the main river at a low place.

"He'll stood there an' fight the fly, maybe so," said Moise. "Ha-hum!
Why he'll don' see us I don' know, me. Why the boat he'll not scare
heem I'll don' know, me, too. How we'll get heem I don' know, me. But
we'll try. C