New-York tribune., 1910-01-02

a Challenge.
might git him, an then again we mehtnt; but
reckon we can't do better than try to call him to-
night after mOOnriSe
Right said Baker.
WHEN at last the tiny campfire had died to a.
w few white ashes and the half-dark of a cloud
less night had fallen,-still, and chill and family
sweet with damp, tonic scents of spruce bavberrv
and bracken,-the two silent rose and noise
leSsly launched their There was that in the
air which spoke of frost before morning 1t wanted
nearly an hour of moonriSe.
There was hurry, Neville Baker did not
paddle. He lounged in the bow of the canoe with
his rifle between his knees and watched with quiet
eyes the vide unSt1rr1ng world of the night so in
expressibly desolate yet as he knew so popuIous
with unseen, furtive life,-hunting and hunted;
loving fearing, trembling; enjoying or avengng
There was no sound except and then an elfiSh
gurgle from under the PROV, or a hushed swirl
from about the throat of Uncle Adams Stealthilv
tanning paddle
They pushed ashore through tangle of Hlv leaves
and dense patch of water arum in a cove below the
point, pulled up the canoe and felt their wav eau
tlousy through the wet fringes of undergrowth
Coming upon lumber trail which the guide knew
they followed 1t single file without a word or
sound, steathiest and most crafty providers of all
Preylng kindred Then arriving at covert of vouno
balSa1n hr, from beneath whose dark and sweeping
branches they could command a close view Of The
sandspit they settled themselves to wat-to yyait
and watch with that eXhauStleSS patience that vie
llance alert yet immObile which is one of the hard
est essentials of wOodcraft to acquire
Close to Uncle Adams hand Law the big horn off
rolled b1rchbark by aid of which he was going to
call THAT is, to initiate the hoarse summons of
the COW moose TO her mate). For the present how
ever he made no move to put his deusive art into
practice lie would give time for the forest to forget
he coming OF the canoe and the passage of the trail
FOR perhaps ten or fifteen minutes there was NOT
movement or whisper behind the ambush of th,
oalSaln mrs In the stiffness the shy wood mice re-
assured, came out and resumed their play with
ialry-thn SqueakS and almost inaudible patterinqs
ana rustilngs over the dry carpet of fir needles
A last, above the fiat black horizon beyond the
lower end of the lake came the first pale GLOW of
inoonrlSe Uncle Adam lifted the birchbark horn to
ms hpS and breathed through it a deep bleatinq
cail groteSque and wild. yet CARRYING an indescrib
ane appeal as II 1t was the voice of all the lonqnq of
all the wildernesses Twice he sounded the uncontb
call, and then he waited ''
Neville Baker motion1ess bis bac1- ac,;,s+ a..
th[hed WIN exquisite expectancy. MANY a time
before had ne peen at moose calling; but the tens,a
mystery oil 1t never failed him. He knew that when
one called moose he never knew what might come
IL might, OF course be the expected bull his lofty
ahtieed head thruSting out the dark screen of
tne nusnes, while his burning eyes stared about in
search OF the mate that had called him In that case
ne would perhaps feel vaguely that he had been de-
ceived ana fade back soundleSSy into the darkness.
or taxing IT INTO his head that another bull had for