porcupines and tame birds. The birds used to come around the
tent to look us over and ask questions, and to tell us a lot about what
was going on in the back settlements--those mysterious dim places where
bird and beast still dwell together as in the ancient days, their round
of affairs and gossip undisturbed. I wanted to rest there, and to heal
up a little before resuming the unknown way.

But Eddie was ruthless--there were more worlds to conquer. The spirit of
some old ancestor who probably set out to discover the Northwest Passage
was upon him. Lower Tobeatic Lake was but a little way above. We pushed
through to it without much delay. It was an extensive piece of water,
full of islands, lonely rocks and calling gulls, who come to this inland
isolation to rear their young.

The morning was clear and breezy and we set on up the lake in the
canoes, Eddie, as usual, a good way in advance. He called back to us now
and then that this was great moose country, and to keep a sharp lookout
as we passed the islands. I did not wish to see moose. The expedition
had already acquitted itself in that direction, but Eddie's voice was
eager, even authoritative, so we went in close and pointed at signs and
whispered in the usual way. I realized that Eddie had not given up the
calf moose idea and was still anxious to shine with those British Museum
people. It seemed to me that such ambitions were not laudable. I
considered them a distinct mar to a character which was otherwise almost
perfect. It was at such times that my inclination to drown or poison
Eddie was stronger than usual.

He had been behind an island a good while when we thought we heard a
shot. Presently we heard it again, and were sure. Del was instantly all
ablaze. Two shots had been the signal for moose.

We went around there. I suppose we hurried. I know it was billowy off
the point and we shipped water and nearly swamped as we rounded. Behind
the island, close in, lay the other canoe, Eddie waving to us excitedly
as we came up.

"Two calf meese!" he called (meese being Eddie's plural of
moose--everybody knows that mooses is the word). "Little helpless
fellows not more than a day or two old. They're too young to swim of
course, so they can't get on the island. We've got em, sure!"

"Did you hit either of them?" I asked anxiously.

"No, of course not! I only fired for a signal. They are wholly at our
mercy. They were right here just a moment ago. The mother ran, an