r any assistance. These facts will become more
apparent to the reader when he has read other portions of this book,
where the story of the moose-hunt has been told from beginning to end.
We are now entering on Nature's grandest preserve,--we find here the
"King of the Canadian Forest," alias moose, deer, beaver, black bear,
black wolf, speckled and lake trout, duck, ruffled grouse, etc. Here is
abundance of sport for the true sportsman. During the morning stroll we
saw several beaver-houses which were occupied, and examined a large
amount of their fresh work. These sights were highly interesting to me,
but inasmuch as they have been so frequently described by others I shall
omit them here.

It was already after twelve o'clock when we reached our camp. The
guides prepared our dinner, which was speedily partaken of, and then
we got off on a deer-hunt. The captain started into the woods with the
dogs. George Ross and I entered a canoe, the former paddling across the
lake to a point that commanded a view of a large portion of this water.
We then stepped on dry land, and there patiently awaited the coming
developments. We carefully scanned every visible portion of the lake. An
hour passed and still we were watching; soon a grand splash was heard
near the shore on the opposite side of the lake; the guide caught sight
of the water which was thrown high into the air, but the head of the
deer was scarcely visible to him while the animal was swimming towards
us. The deer, which at first swam directly towards us, soon changed his
course, and headed towards the foot of the lake. This change brought him
plainly into view. A few minutes later the dog was seen running from the
woods where the deer broke cover. The head and antlers of our game were
visible above the waters of the lake, while he was swimming majestically
without fear or even anxiety. We stood nearly half an hour watching the
movements of this deer, since we could not safely move lest we should be
discovered by the game and give him an opportunity to return to his
forest home.

[Illustration: THE CATSKILLS--SUNRISE FROM SOUTH MOUNTAIN
FROM A STEEL PLATE]

The reader should remember that this animal took to the water from
the shore nearly opposite to the point on which we were standing, that
the deer swam almost directly towards us until he reached the middle
of the stream, then turned downward, which gave us, in due time, an
opportunity to come in unperceived behind