Boy Scouts on Hudson Bay | Page 4

world, it isn't likely to seem
new to us," Frank Shaw remarked, a little boastfully it must be
confessed, for having passed through so many strange happenings in
times past had given him a touch of what Jimmy was inclined to call
the "swelled head," though any one would have been justified for
feeling proud of such a record of wonderful things accomplished.
The scouts having started on the subject of their mission continued to
discuss it from various angles. In this way they often hit upon
suggestions, because one remark would bring out another until some

fellow chanced to open up a new field of conjecture.
They were deep in the matter, and all taking a hand in the discussion,
when Francois, the dark-faced voyageur, suddenly started to his knees
with a cry of warning. At the same time the boys became aware of the
fact that a strange rushing and pounding noise was rapidly bearing
down upon the little camp on the river bank.
Jimmy happened to be sitting cross-legged like a Turk, a favorite
attitude of his, and becoming excited he could not get up as rapidly as
his chums.
In consequence of this he seemed to be in the way of some huge body
that rushed the camp, scattering the fire, and rending the branches of
the tree under which the exploring party had settled for the night.
It was all over in a few seconds. The camp was in an uproar, one of the
tents down flat, the fire in danger of communicating to the brush, and
Jimmy squealing on his back, where the sudden rush of the mysterious
monster had thrown him.
CHAPTER II.
A WILD CHARGE.
"Help! Help!" Jimmy was shouting, kicking wildly as he roared. "Keep
off me, you wild elephant! Somebody shoot him, quick, before he steps
on me!"
"Here, stop that kicking, if you want to be helped up, do you hear,
Jimmy!" exclaimed Frank, who had hastened to the assistance of the
comrade in distress. "Are you much hurt; and did the beast trample on
you any?"
Jimmy began to feel of his legs and arms, and upon discovering himself
apparently as sound as a dollar, grinned sheepishly. Meanwhile the two
guides had hastened, with the help of Ned and Jack, to gather the fire
together again. Teddy had snatched up the nearest rifle and was down

on one knee, peering out through the semi-darkness as though
anticipating a return rush on the part of the unknown monster that had
created such confusion in the camp.
"No great damage done, after all, seems like, if Jimmy says he's all
right," remarked Ned, now beginning to let a broad smile creep over his
face, for seeing Jimmy doubled up and had been a ludicrous spectacle
not soon to be forgotten.
"But what in creation was it that put the kibosh all over me like that?"
demanded the one who had been knocked over by the mad rush of the
invader.
Ned glanced toward Francois, and the voyageur simply said:
"Bull moose--him very much mad, charge camp like that!"
"Well, I should think he must have been," Frank Shaw declared. "Why,
if we'd had a little more warning we might have met him with a volley
of hot lead that'd have laid him out dead. Now that Francois says so, I
do believe he looked pretty much on the order of a monstrous moose
bull. I certainly saw his horns, and they were full grown, because the
rutting season is long since past."
"But what makes a moose get his mad up?" Jack asked. "We didn't do a
single thing to rile him, that I know of, but were sitting here as easy as
you please, when all at once he charges through the camp. Why, say, he
nearly carried off some of our property, when he knocked down that
tent. Look at the rip his horns made in the tanned canvas, would you?
Some more sewing for Teddy here, to mend the rip."
"Francois, do bull moose often act in that way?" asked Teddy, still
gripping the repeating rifle, as though not fully convinced that their
would be no repetition of the savage onslaught.
The guide shook his head.
"Know only few times when it happen, and then there be reason. He

carry off on horns what makes him rush our camp. I saw the same with
my own eyes. Bull moose much like farm bull, and hate ze red color
ver' mooch."
At hearing this several of the boys gave a shout.
"There, see what you get, Jimmy, for keeping that silly red sweater
around. The old bull saw it hanging there in the light of our fire, and it
made him so furious, as it has us lots of times, that