Page:Babyhood of Wild Beasts.djvu/249

 CHAPTER XXII

F the ruminants (cud-chewing animals), none is so majestic as the Moose. He is the largest of the deer family, and has the most common sense.

Whenever we hear his name, we feel a thrill of romance steal through us, for we have all heard of the moose's love of conquest; and the terrific fights waged by these huge animals have been topics for the hunters as they smoked and spun yarns in the glow of the campfires.

There is no cowardice in this heroic fellow's disposition. He is game to the finish.

The Alaska Moose engaged in combat is indeed a spectacle. These huge creatures often fight to the death. The only way to end these battles sensibly is for the vanquished party to take to flight. A favourite way hunters have for calling the moose is to roll a piece of birch bark