“You forget it’s not the hunting season,” replied Uncle Teddy, “and don’t seem to be aware of the fact that there are such things as game laws in this fair country.”
There was a chorus of disappointment from the 45 Winnebagos and Sandwiches, whose imaginations had already gone forward to the great sport of hunting the moose and bringing his antlers home in triumph to hang in the House of the Open Door. Uncle Teddy saw the disappointment and sympathized with the boys and girls, for he was a great hunter himself and enjoyed nothing better than an expedition after game.
“I’ll tell you what we’ll do,” he said. “We’ll hunt the moose anyhow, but we won’t try to kill him. We’ll just try to get a look at him. They are getting so scarce nowadays in this part of the country that it’s worth a chase just to see one. If he really lives in those woods over there he’ll probably let himself be seen sooner or later. All we have to do is find out where he goes to drink and then watch that place.”
The Winnebagos thought that hunting the moose for a friendly purpose was much nicer than killing him after all, and they were perfectly satisfied with the sport as it was. The boys, of course, would rather have hunted him down and secured his antlers, and thought that just looking at him was rather tame sport, but under the circumstances that was the best they could do.
“I know what we’ll do,” said Migwan. “You remember the story of the Calydonian Hunt in the mythology book? Well, we’ll pretend this is another Calydonian Hunt.”
46“Oh, yes,” said Hinpoha. “They went in a yacht called the Argo, didn’t they, and the hunters called themselves the Argonauts, wasn’t that it?”
“Oh, Hinpoha,” groaned Migwan, “how did you ever manage to get a passing grade in ‘Myth?’”
“The only kind of myths Hinpoha cared about were the ‘Hero and Leander’ kind,” said Sahwah slily. “She knew that one by heart.”
Hinpoha blushed and made awful grimaces at Sahwah.
“I should think that one would appeal to you particularly, Sahwah,” said Migwan; “you’re so fond of swimming.”