“I thought there wasn’t any game around here,” answered Norman, trying in vain to get his eyes above the cockpit.
“I guess the hunters have all gone too far,” answered Roy breathlessly. “Anyway, there’s a dandy bull right out there in the open. Give me a shot at it.”
As he spoke, he dropped one of the front sections and pointed to one side of the basin-like opening among the spruce trees. The moment Norman caught sight of the animal, which stood with its forefeet together, its head erect, and its immense spread of antlers reared almost defiantly, he brought the machine directly toward the animal. There was a heavy discharge from Roy’s rifle, but no sign that his shot had gone home.
“Try him again,” laughed Norman. “He’s big as a barn.”
But while Roy pumped a new shell into place, the erect animal suddenly stumbled and then with a snort whirled and sprang toward the trees. This time when the rifle sounded the great antlers seemed to rise higher and then the moose lunged forward on its head and began kicking in the snow. Norman, gazing at the struggling animal, brought the monoplane to the wide drifts of snow.
“You get out and finish him,” he exclaimed as the Gitchie Manitou came to a jolting stop. “It’s getting colder. I’m going to put some alcohol an’ glycerine in the radiator. This isn’t a very good place to freeze up.”
“Why not wait till we get over to the camp?” asked Roy as he dropped one of the side sections.
“We’ve got enough of a load now,” answered Norman as he began to prowl around among the extra supplies. “There isn’t much snow among the trees. We’ll take all we can carry of this fresh meat and go to the camp on foot. There’s no place to land there, anyway.”
Closing the machine, the two boys soon quartered the moose, and leaving a part of the carcass in the lower limbs of a spruce tree, shouldered the remainder and made their way toward the Indian village. The snow and their heavy load made this a panting task and in the mile walk they paused to rest several times.
When they finally reached the edge of the Indian settlement and broke their way through the last of the trees, they found before them a picture that had escaped them from the airship. In the distance lay the deserted looking cabins but, nearer by and as if seeking protection among the scrub spruce, rose a single tepee. Before it stood two men and two squaws.