Pathfinding on Plain and Prairie: Stirring Scenes of Life in the Canadian North-westMcDougall, John
History
Pathfinding on Plain and Prairie: Stirring Scenes of Life in the Canadian North-west
McDougall, John
Frontier and pioneer life -- Northwest, Canadian; McDougall, John, 1842-1917; Northwest, Canadian -- Description and travel
The next day, while our camp moved steadily out, little Paul led a
party of one from each lodge to bring in the meat from our cache.
Samson went the other way on foot into a dense hill of timber which
was situate west of us, and in the evening after we had camped he
came in with the nose of a moose and some other titbits on his back.
We were now beginning to live! The next day I went with Samson for
the meat of the moose. We found this in a forest on the bank of a
beautiful fresh-water lake. We lunched beside the carcase, and when
we were through our meal Samson said, "You do not need me to take the
meat home. I will take a turn through the timber." The result was
that in the evening he brought in another moose nose, this time that
of a big buck. Both moose and elk were in the season when their
antlers were growing and were covered by a kind of plush or velvet
which was considered very good eating. We would cut the antlers from
the head and throw them into the fire, when the plush would singe off
and each antler point split open in the process of cooking. The
portion which split open, and all the skin covering on the antler,
were thought good food.
It seemed passing strange that the enormous antlers of both moose and
elk should be of but a few months' growth. Nevertheless this was a
fact, as on this trip I saw the horns or antlers in various stages of
growth, and later on in complete condition.
CHAPTER XVI.
Samson and I go on a moose hunt--Samson's clever tracking--He comes
up with the moose and tries a shot--No bullet in the gun--Two
dejected hunters return to the camp--We have better luck next
time--Roses make a thorny path--We disturb a band of wolves--Samson
stampedes them with his riding-whip--"Firing Stony" and I go
hunting--I bring down a noble elk--Novel method of fishing.
One day I went with Samson on a moose hunt. We set out early in the
morning, walking fast, and sometimes running for awhile. About ten
o'clock, after hours of tramping through dense forest and wading
through many swamps, we came upon the track of a big buck moose.
Samson looked at the hoof-prints, and also at the ends of brush which
had been bitten off by the huge fellow as he fed by the way. Finally
he said, "Let us sit down for a little while, and let me think." I
watched him as he lit his pipe and slowly puffed and thought out his
plan of campaign. At last he rose and said, "That moose may be close
to us. You stop right here, for should I miss him or only wound him,
he is bound to run right past here. If so, you will have a good
shot; so you stay here and wait for me." I therefore sat down at the
root of a stout tree and waited and listened.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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