As terrible as when the rains Have swelled them over bank and bourn, With sudden floods to drown the plains 6. And ye, who throng, beside the deep, On his long, murmuring marge of sand, And flings the proudest barks that swim, 7. Few, few were they whose swords of old The grim resolve to guard it well. That Might and Right move hand in hand, XXXVII. — GLORIES OF THE HEAVENS. Hymn from part of the Nineteenth Psalm. 1 ADDISON. 1. THE spacious 1 firmament on high, 2. Soon as the evening shades prevail, Whilst all the stars that round her burn, And spread the truth from pole to pole. 3. What though in solemn silence all Move round the dark terrestrial ball; "The hand that made us is divine." SPACIOUS (spa'shus). Extensive; ex- 3 CON-FIRM'. Put past doubt by addı tended. 2 E-THE RE-AL. Formed of ether, an element rarer and purer than air tional evidence. XXXVIII. ADVENTURE WITH A MOOSE. G. H. DEVEREUX. The following narrative is from a work entitled "Sam Shirk: a Tale of the Woods of Maine." The scene is laid in a small sea-coast town in the eastern part of Maine. James Butler, a young man, is the leading character of the village in wealth and influence. Sam Shirk, his companion, who gives his name to the book, is a man who has been reclaimed from a useless and vagabond life by the influence of Butler and his mother. They are in the woods, upon a hunting expedition. 1. THEY now proceeded cautiously 1 forward, dodg ing from cover to cover, till Sam, who was slightly in advance, halted and signed to Butler to come up where he stood, behind a huge pine. "There they are!" whispered he. 2. The horns of one of the stately animals, though not yet full grown, - for the moose, like other deer, sheds his horns annually 2 about the month of November, could be seen above a thicket of low birches in their front. They soon saw that a number of them were moving about in the same neighborhood. The large head and heavy muzzle of a male were perfectly visible through an opening among the bushes; and Shirk levelled his gun and fired. 3 3. The head of the animal disappearing at the report, he rushed through the copse-wood, exulting in his supposed success. Butler followed him directly, hoping to obtain a shot at another before the herd had dispersed; but, as he emerged from the thicket, his attention was occupied in an unexpected manner. 4. The moose was standing at bay 5 in one of the paths trodden out by the herd, the blood dropping from a flesh-wound through the neck, with his eye flashing, and nis fore-foot pawing the ground. Rage and pain had converted the inoffensive and timid creature into a furious belligerent. As he saw Butler come up, he dropped his head, made a dash at Shirk, and, taking him up fairly on his horns, started off at full speed. Astonished and alarmed, Butler paused a moment in perplexity." 5. "Shirk must be fatally bruised and crippled among the trees, if that furious beast does not gore' or trample him to death," thought he. "I must try a nice shot; and Heaven help my aim this time!" 6. James then dropped upon his knee, and took a careful aim along the barrel of his rifle. The moose had already attained a distance of more than a hundred yards. Still Butler hesitated to pull the trigger. Although his heavy burden did not seem to diminish the speed of the animal in the least, it compelled him to carry his head horizontally, instead of thrown upward and back, as is their wont. The body of Sam and the head and body of the deer offered, therefore, one straight line, when seen from behind. 7. The fearful proximity 9 of the human form to the range of his rifle appalled 10 Butler, and his hand shook with agitation. The moose was now rushing directly for a close and heavy growth of large trees, among which it was apparent that a person in Sam's situation must be almost immediately maimed,11 if not destroyed by a hideous and painful death. "Better be shot than that," said Butler to himself. "I must do my best, and trust it to Providence." 8. Steadying himself by a severe effort, he took a quick, but careful aim, and fired. His ball struck precisely as he wished, under the fore-shoulder of the moose, and brought him to the ground. Sam was pitched off several yards in the fall, while the moose lay disabled and helpless. 9. James hardly dared look through the smoke to see the effect of his shot; but as he perceived the fortunate result, "Thank God!" he exclaimed, "I have done it." Before he could rise and get fairly on his way, he was relieved from all anxiety, by seeing Sam upon his feet and approaching his fallen enemy from the other side. When Butler came up, Sam had cut the animal's throat, and then, at his leisure, shaking his fist at his huge head, apostrophized 12 him in the following speech: 10. "You good-for-nothing scamp, who told you I wanted a ride, free gratis, for nothing?" 11. " Why, Sam, I think you have no reason to complain. You've got no harm but a fright; and this poor beast is paying dearly enough for that." 12. "No, I won't grumble. But for that handsome shot of yours, I might have been pounded into a jelly, or torn into shoe-strings by this time." 13. "What sort of a cradle did the old fellow's horns make, Sam?" 14. "Why, not so very bad. It would have been worse if they had been full grown. A pillow or two would have improved it. 1 CÂU'TIOUS-LY. Watchfully; carefully. 2 AN NU-AL-LY. Every year. 3 MUZ'ZLE (muz'zl). mouth of an animal. The nose and 4 LEV'ELLED. Aimed. on war. 7 PER-PLEX'I-TY. Anxiety; confusion 8 GORE. Stab; pierce with a horn. 10 APPALLED'. Frightened; terrified. |