Page:They who walk in the wilds, (IA theywhowalkinwil00robe).pdf/211

 attack upon the moose-yard. Seeking a new hunting-ground, he had wandered unhappily out to the edge of the barrens, hoping that there he might have better luck than in the deep of the woods. As he drew near the moose-yard he was thrilled to see some signs of life in the otherwise lifeless waste. There were fresh fox tracks and weasel tracks, with now and again the great pad-marks of a foraging lynx. The unconcerned moose-family, well-fed and comfortable in their sheltered quarters, had a vain fascination for all the ravenous wanderers. The moose-yard afforded asylum to half a dozen pairs of impudent little Canada jays, or "moose-birds," who hopped and pecked fearlessly about the trodden ground, and frequently roosted on the backs of their lordly hosts, warming their toes in the long, coarse hair and exploring it with their beaks for insect-prey. Once in a while a reckless weasel or fox would dart down into the "yard" and try to catch one of these self-confident birds. But the jays, screaming derision, would fly up into the branches overhead; the cow moose, more nervous and short of temper than the great bull, would strike out angrily at the intruder; and one of the calves, always ready for a diversion, would rush at him and chase him from the sanctuary. For the moose disliked the smell of all the hunting beasts.

Stealing warily up-wind, the famished bear at