Twelve DRIED SPINACH OR MOOSE STEAK?
The story ends with regret for killing a moose that was a favoured pet (and money maker) for an aristocratic hotelier—for whom Tex has nothing but scorn. This is part of a conscious attempt by Tex to distance himself from the effete aristocratic whims and airs of a Marquis who ran a lodge near Banff and refused to let anyone hunt on the territory he leased. Tex refers to his friends and himself as “waddies,” “proletariat,” and “commoners.” They are the ones who have to rally round if there is a problem, but otherwise they keep a “respectful distance.” The tone of regret at the end (and the use of words like “old reactionaries”) suggests a more gentle character and sensibility than does the belligerent populist tone he strikes at the beginning.
—AG