They now set to work to stuff it into the chinks; when, to their astonishment5, they found that this grass had a beautiful smell, quite as powerful and as pleasant as that of mint or thyme! When a small quantity of it was flung into the fire it filled the cabin with a fragrance6 as agreeable as the costliest7 perfumes. It was the “scented grass,” which grows in great profusion9 in many parts of the Hudson’s Bay territory, and out of which the Indians often make their beds, burning it also upon the fire to enjoy its aromatic10 perfume.
For the first day or two, at their new abode11, the travellers had lived altogether on fish. They had, of course, brought their net with them from the island, and had set it near the shore in the same way as before. They had captured as many as they wanted, and, strange to say, at one haul they found no less than five different species in the net! One kind, a white fish, the Coregonus albus of naturalists12, but which is named “tittameg” by the fur-traders, they caught in great plenty. This fish is found in nearly all the lakes and rivers of the Hudson’s Bay territory, and is much prized both by whites and Indians for its delicate flavour. At some of the trading posts it often forms, for weeks together, the only food which the residents can obtain; and they are quite satisfied when they can get enough of it. The tittameg is not a large fish; the largest attain13 to the weight of about eight pounds.
There was another and still smaller species, which, from its colour, the voyageurs call the “poisson bleu,” or blue fish. It is the Coregonus signifer of ichthyologists. It is a species of grayling, and frequents sharp-running water, where it will leap at the fly like a trout14. Several kinds of trout also inhabit the Great Slave Lake, and some of these attain to the enormous weight of eighty pounds! A few were caught, but none of so gigantic proportions as this. Pike were also taken in the net, and a species of burbot (Gadus lota). This last is one of the most voracious15 of the finny tribe, and preys16 upon all others that it is able to swallow. It devours17 whole quantities of cray-fish, until its stomach becomes crammed18 to such a degree as to distort the shape of its whole body. When this kind was drawn19 out, it was treated very rudely by the boys—because its flesh was known to be extremely unsavoury, and none of them cared to eat it. Marengo, however, had no such scruples20, and he was wont21 to make several hearty22 meals each day upon the rejected burbot.
A fish diet exclusively was not the thing; and as our party soon grew tired of it, the hunter Basil shouldered his rifle, and strode off into the woods in search of game. The others remained working upon the cabin, which was still far from being finished.
Basil kept along the edge of the lake in an easterly direction. He had not gone more than a quarter of a mile, when he came upon a dry gravelly ridge23, which was thickly covered with a species of pine-trees that resembled the Scotch24 fir (Pinus sylvestris). These trees were not over forty feet in height, with very thick trunks and long flexible branches. No other trees grew among them, for it is the nature of this pine—which was the “scrub” or grey pine (Pinus Banksiana) to monopolise the ground wherever it grows. As Basil passed on, he noticed that many of the trees were completely “barked,” particularly on the branches; and small pieces of the bark lay scattered25 over the ground, as though it had been peeled off and gnawed26 by some animal. He was walking quietly on and thinking what creature could have made such a wreck27, when he came to a place where the ground was covered with fine sand or dust. In this, to his astonishment, he observed what he supposed to be the tracks of human feet! They were not those of a man, but small tracks, resembling the footsteps of a child of three or four years of age. He was about stooping down to examine them more closely, when a voice sounded in his ears exactly like the cry of a child! This brought him suddenly to an erect28 attitude again, and he looked all round to discover who or what had uttered that strange cry. He could see no one—child or man—and strange, too, for he had a clear view through the tree-trunks for several hundred yards around. He was filled with curiosity, not unmixed with alarm; and, stepping forward a few paces, he was about to bend down and examine the tracks a second time, when the singular cry again startled him. This time it was louder than before, as if he was closer to whatever had uttered it, but Basil now perceived that it proceeded from above him. The creature from which it came was certainly not upon the ground, but high up among the tops of the trees. He looked up, and there, in the fork of one of the pines, he perceived a singular and hideous-looking animal—such as he had never before seen. It was of a brown colour, about the size of a terrier-dog, with thick shaggy hair, and clumped29 up in the fork of the tree—so that its head and feet were scarcely distinguishable. Its odd appearance, as well as the peculiar30 cry which it had uttered, would have alarmed many a one of less courage than our young hunter, and Basil was at first, as he afterwards confessed, “slightly flurried;” but a moment’s reflection told him what the animal was—one of the most innocent and inoffensive of God’s creatures—the Canada porcupine31. It was this, then, that had barked the scrub-pines—for they are its favourite food; and it was its track—which in reality very much resembles that of a child—that Basil had seen in the sand.
The first thought of the young hunter was to throw up his rifle, and send a bullet through the ungainly animal; which, instead of making any effort to escape, remained almost motionless, uttering, at intervals32, its child-like screams. Basil, however, reflected that the report of his rifle would frighten any large game that might chance to be near; and as the porcupine was hardly worth a shot, he concluded, upon reflection, it would be better to leave it alone. He knew—for he had heard Lucien say so—that he would find the porcupine at any time, were it a week, or even a month after—for these creatures remain sometimes a whole winter in the same grove33. He resolved, therefore, should no other game turn up, to return for it; and, shouldering his rifle again, he continued his course through the woods.
As he proceeded, the timber became thinner. The scrub-pines gave place to poplar-trees, with here and there an undergrowth of willows35. The trees stood far apart, and the willows grew only in clumps36 or “islands,” so that the view was nearly open for many hundred yards around. Basil walked on with all the silence and watchfulness37 of a true “still” hunter—for, among backwoodsmen, this species of hunting is so called. He ascended38 a low hill, and keeping a tree in front of him, looked cautiously over its crest39. Before him, and stretching from the bottom of the hill, was a level tract40 of considerable extent. It was bounded on one side by the edge of the lake, and on all the others by thin woods, similar to those through which the hunter had been for some time travelling. Here and there, over the plain, there stood trees, far apart from each other, and in nowise intercepting41 the view for a mile or more. The ground was clear of underwood, except along the immediate42 edge of the lake, which was fringed by a thicket43 of willows.
As Basil looked over the hill, he espied44 a small group of animals near the interior border of the willows. He had never seen animals of the same species before, but the genus was easily told. The tall antlered horns, that rose upon the head of one of them, showed that they were deer of some kind; and the immense size of the creature that bore them, together with his ungainly form, his long legs, and ass-like ears, his huge head with its overhanging lip, his short neck with its standing45 mane, and, above all, the broad palmation of the horns themselves, left Basil without any doubt upon his mind that the animals before him were moose-deer—the largest, and perhaps the most awkward, of all the deer kind. The one with the antlers was the male or bull-moose. The others were the female and her two calves46 of the preceding year. The latter were still but half-grown, and, like the female, were without the “branching horns” that adorned47 the head of the old bull. They were all of a dark-brown colour—looking blackish in the distance—but the large one was darker than any of the others.
Basil’s heart beat high, for he had often heard of the great moose, but now saw it for the first time. In his own country it is not found, as it is peculiarly a creature of the cold regions, and ranges no farther to the south than the northern edge of the United States territory. To the north it is met with as far as timber grows—even to the shores of the Polar Sea! Naturalists are not certain, whether or not it be the same animal with the elk48 (Cervus alces) of Europe. Certainly the two are but little, if anything, different; but the name “elk” has been given in America to quite another and smaller species of deer—the wapiti (Cervus Canadensis). The moose takes its name from its Indian appellation49, “moosoa,” or “wood-eater;” and this name is very appropriate, as the animal lives mostly upon the leaves and twigs50 of trees. In fact, its structure—like that of the camelopard—is such that it finds great difficulty in reaching grass, or any other herbage, except where the latter chances to be very tall, or grows upon the declivity52 of a very steep hill. When it wishes to feed upon grass, the moose usually seeks it in such situations; and it may often be seen browsing53 up the side of a hill, with its legs spread widely on both sides of its neck. But its favourite food is found at a more convenient height, and consists of the young shoots of many species of trees. It prefers those of the poplar, the birch-tree, and willows, and one kind of these last, the red willow34, is its particular favourite. The “striped” maple54 (Acer striatum) is also much relished55 by the moose—hence the name “moose-wood,” by which this tree is known among the hunters. It loves also the common water-lilies (Nympha); and in summer it may be seen wading56 out into lakes, and plucking up their succulent leaves. It takes to the water also for other purposes—to cool its body, and rid itself of several species of gnats57 and mosquitoes that at this season torment58 it exceedingly. At such times it is more easily approached; and the Indians hunt it in their canoes, and kill it in the water, both with spears and arrows. They never find the moose, however, in large numbers—for it is a solitary59 animal, and only associates in pairs during one part of the year, and in families at another season—as Basil now found it. In winter the Indians track it through the snow, following it upon snow-shoes. These give them the advantage of skimming along the surface, while the moose plunges60 through the deep drift, and is therefore impeded61 in its flight. Notwithstanding, it will frequently escape from the hunter, after a chase of several days’ duration! Sometimes, in deep snow, a dozen or more of these animals will be found in one place, where they have got accidentally together. The snow will be trodden down until the place appears as if enclosed by a wall. This the hunters term a “moose-pound,” and when found in such situations the moose are easily approached and surrounded—when a general battue takes place, in which few or none of the animals are allowed to escape.
I have said that Basil’s heart beat high at the sight of the moose. He was very desirous of killing62 one—partly on account of the novelty of the thing, and partly because he and his companions at the camp were anxious for a change of diet. Moose-meat was the very thing; and he knew that if he could return to camp with a few pieces of this strung over his gun, he would receive a double welcome. He was well aware that the flesh of the moose was of the most savoury and delicate kind, and that the long pendulous63 upper lip is one of the “tit-bits” of the fur countries. Moreover, the fine hide would be an acceptable addition to their stock, as it is the best of all deerskins for mocassins, as well as snow-shoes—articles which Basil knew would soon be needed. For these reasons he was unusually desirous of killing one of the moose.
He knew it would be difficult to approach them. He had heard that they were shyest at that very season—the beginning of winter—and indeed such is the case. No deer is so difficult to get a shot at as a moose in early winter. In summer it is not so—as then the mosquitoes torment these animals to such a degree that they pay less heed64 to other enemies, and the hunter can more easily approach them. In winter they are always on the alert. Their sense of smell—as well as of sight and hearing—is acute to an extreme degree, and they are cunning besides. They can scent8 an enemy a long distance off—if the wind be in their favour—and the snapping of a twig51, or the slightest rustle65 of the leaves, is sufficient to start them off. In their journeyings through the snow, when they wish to rest themselves, they make a sort of détour, and, coming back, lie down near the track which they have already passed over. This gives them an opportunity of hearing any enemy that may be following upon their trail, and also of making off in a side-direction, while the latter will be looking steadfastly66 ahead for them.
Basil had heard of all these tricks of the moose—for many an old moose-hunter had poured his tale into Basil’s ear. He proceeded, therefore, with all due caution. He first buried his hand in his game-bag, and after a little groping brought out a downy feather which had chanced to be there. This he placed lightly upon the muzzle67 of his rifle, and having gently elevated the piece above his head, watched the feather. After a moment, the breeze carried it off, and Basil noted68 the direction it took. This is called, in hunter phrase, “tossing the feather,” and gave Basil the exact direction of the wind—an important knowledge in the present case. To Basil’s gratification he saw that it was blowing down the lake, and nearly towards himself. He was not exactly to leeward69 of the moose; but, what was better still, the willows that fringed the lake were, for he could see them bending from the deer, as the breeze blew freshly. He knew he could easily get among the willows; and as they were not yet quite leafless, and, moreover, were interspersed70 with tall reed-grass, they formed a tolerable cover under which he might make his approach.
Without losing time, then, he made for the willows, and placing them between himself and the game, commenced “approaching” along the shore of the lake.
He had a full half-hour’s creeping—at one time upon his hands and knees—at another, crawling flat upon his breast like a gigantic lizard71, and now and then, at favourable72 spots, walking in a bent73 attitude. A full half-hour was he, and much pain and patience did it cost him, before getting within shot. But Basil was a hunter, and knew both how to endure the pain and practise the patience—virtues that, in hunting as well as in many other occupations, usually meet with their reward. And Basil was likely to meet with his, for on parting the leaves, and looking cautiously through, he saw that he had arrived at the right spot. Within fifty yards of him he saw the high shoulders of the bull-moose and his great flat antlers towering over the tops of the willows, among the leaves of which the snout of the animal was buried. He also caught a glimpse of parts of the other three beyond; but he thought only of the bull, and it was upon him that he kept his eyes fixed74. Basil did not think of the quality of the meat, else he would have selected either the cow or one of the calves. Had it been buffaloes76 he would certainly have done so; but as he had never killed a moose, he was determined77 to slay78 the leader of the herd79.
Indeed, had he wished to shoot one of the others, it might not have been so easy, as they were farther off, and he could only see the tops of their shoulders over the willows. Neither did the bull offer a fair mark. He stood face to face with the hunter, and Basil fancied that a shot on the frontal bone might not kill him. He knew it would not kill a buffalo75. There was only one other part at which he could aim—the fore-shoulder; and after waiting some moments for the animal to give him a fairer chance, he took aim at this and fired. He heard a loud cracking of hoofs80, as the cow and calves shambled off over the plain, but he saw that the bull was not with them. He was down behind the willows. No doubt he was dead.
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1
axe
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| n.斧子；v.用斧头砍，削减 | |
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dexterity
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| n.(手的)灵巧，灵活 | |
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notched
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| a.有凹口的，有缺口的 | |
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plentifully
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| adv. 许多地，丰饶地 | |
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5
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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6
fragrance
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| n.芬芳，香味，香气 | |
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7
costliest
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| adj.昂贵的( costly的最高级 )；代价高的；引起困难的；造成损失的 | |
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8
scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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profusion
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| n.挥霍；丰富 | |
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aromatic
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| adj.芳香的，有香味的 | |
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abode
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| n.住处，住所 | |
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12
naturalists
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| n.博物学家( naturalist的名词复数 )；（文学艺术的）自然主义者 | |
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13
attain
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| vt.达到，获得，完成 | |
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trout
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| n.鳟鱼；鲑鱼(属) | |
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15
voracious
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| adj.狼吞虎咽的，贪婪的 | |
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16
preys
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| v.掠食( prey的第三人称单数 )；掠食；折磨；（人）靠欺诈为生 | |
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devours
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| 吞没( devour的第三人称单数 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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18
crammed
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| adj.塞满的，挤满的；大口地吃；快速贪婪地吃v.把…塞满；填入；临时抱佛脚( cram的过去式) | |
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19
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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scruples
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| n.良心上的不安( scruple的名词复数 )；顾虑，顾忌v.感到于心不安，有顾忌( scruple的第三人称单数 ) | |
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wont
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| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
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hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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24
scotch
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| n.伤口，刻痕；苏格兰威士忌酒；v.粉碎，消灭，阻止；adj.苏格兰(人)的 | |
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scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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26
gnawed
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| 咬( gnaw的过去式和过去分词 )； （长时间） 折磨某人； （使）苦恼； （长时间）危害某事物 | |
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wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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clumped
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| adj.[医]成群的v.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的过去式和过去分词 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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porcupine
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| n.豪猪， 箭猪 | |
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intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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33
grove
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| n.林子，小树林，园林 | |
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34
willow
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| n.柳树 | |
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willows
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| n.柳树( willow的名词复数 )；柳木 | |
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36
clumps
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| n.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的名词复数 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声v.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的第三人称单数 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声 | |
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37
watchfulness
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| 警惕，留心； 警觉（性） | |
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38
ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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crest
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| n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖 | |
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tract
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| n.传单，小册子，大片(土地或森林) | |
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41
intercepting
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| 截取（技术），截接 | |
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42
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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43
thicket
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| n.灌木丛，树林 | |
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44
espied
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| v.看到( espy的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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45
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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46
calves
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| n.(calf的复数)笨拙的男子，腓；腿肚子( calf的名词复数 )；牛犊；腓；小腿肚v.生小牛( calve的第三人称单数 )；（冰川）崩解；生（小牛等），产（犊）；使（冰川）崩解 | |
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47
adorned
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| [计]被修饰的 | |
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elk
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| n.麋鹿 | |
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appellation
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| n.名称，称呼 | |
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50
twigs
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| 细枝，嫩枝( twig的名词复数 ) | |
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51
twig
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| n.小树枝，嫩枝；v.理解 | |
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52
declivity
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| n.下坡，倾斜面 | |
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53
browsing
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| v.吃草( browse的现在分词 )；随意翻阅；（在商店里）随便看看；（在计算机上）浏览信息 | |
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54
maple
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| n.槭树，枫树，槭木 | |
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55
relished
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| v.欣赏( relish的过去式和过去分词 )；从…获得乐趣；渴望 | |
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wading
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| （从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的现在分词 ) | |
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57
gnats
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| n.叮人小虫( gnat的名词复数 ) | |
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58
torment
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| n.折磨；令人痛苦的东西(人)；vt.折磨；纠缠 | |
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59
solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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60
plunges
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| n.跳进，投入vt.使投入，使插入，使陷入vi.投入，跳进，陷入v.颠簸( plunge的第三人称单数 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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impeded
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| 阻碍，妨碍，阻止( impede的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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62
killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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pendulous
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| adj.下垂的；摆动的 | |
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heed
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| v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心 | |
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rustle
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| v.沙沙作响；偷盗(牛、马等)；n.沙沙声声 | |
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steadfastly
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| adv.踏实地，不变地；岿然；坚定不渝 | |
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67
muzzle
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| n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默 | |
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noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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leeward
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| adj.背风的；下风的 | |
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interspersed
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| adj.[医]散开的；点缀的v.intersperse的过去式和过去分词 | |
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lizard
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| n.蜥蜴，壁虎 | |
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favourable
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| adj.赞成的，称赞的，有利的，良好的，顺利的 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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buffalo
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| n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛 | |
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buffaloes
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| n.水牛（分非洲水牛和亚洲水牛两种）( buffalo的名词复数 )；（南非或北美的）野牛；威胁；恐吓 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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slay
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| v.杀死，宰杀，杀戮 | |
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herd
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| n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起 | |
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hoofs
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| n.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的名词复数 )v.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的第三人称单数 ) | |
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