It began to get along toward high noon.
Ethan felt hungry, since they had been on the tramp a long while now. Still he did not dream of stopping to build a fire, and waste time with such foolishness, thus losing most of the advantage they had gained.
“We can chew at something as we keep right along, eh, Phil?” he remarked, after mentioning the subject of lunch.
“Yes, unless we come up with our game before the sun is at the zenith,” the other replied. “Of course, after we’ve met the moose we needn’t be in such a hurry, and an hour’s rest would make both of us feel a heap better for the return journey.”
Apparently Ethan was quite content to let it go at that, for he did not mention the subject again.
A short time afterward Phil whispered that the trail was so fresh he would not be surprised if they came in sight of the moose at any moment. He had slung his gun to his back and held his camera ready for instant use in case the chance came.
Of course they could never have come so close to the animal had the wind been blowing from them toward the moose; but the animal followed the habit of most of the deer tribe in advancing into the wind, so as to be able to detect any danger ahead.
Then all at once Ethan gave a low cry.
“Look, Phil!”
There was a snap, and Phil had secured a picture of a big animal not unlike a hornless domestic cow standing there staring at them. He even had time to roll the film and get his camera in condition for business again before, with a sudden plunge the unwieldy beast went off through the drifts.