hed in me. 'T wa'n' no moose--jest a common ord'nary
three-year-ol' bull."

"Hurt you?" I queried.

"No; 't hurt 'im." said he, soberly. "Sp'ilt 'im, es ye might say.
Could n't never bear the sight uv a man efter thet. Seem so he did
n't think he wus fit t' be seen. Nobody c'u'd ever git 'n a mild
o' th' poor cuss. Hed t' be shot."

"What happened?"

"Hed a stout club 'n my hand," said he. "Got holt uv 'is tail, an'
begun a-whalin' uv 'im. Run 'im down a steep hill, an' passin' a
tree, I tuk one side an' he t' other. We parted there fer the las'
time."

He looked off at the sky a moment.

Then came his inevitable addendum, which was: "I hed a dam sight
more tail 'an he did, thet 's sartin."

About ten o'clock we came in sight of our old home. Then we
hurried our horses, and came up to the door with a rush. A
stranger met us there.

"Are you Captain Bell?" said he, as I got off my horse.

I nodded.