The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1868-06-06

Of his eye designated the time and object psint
| OF his action. Keeping time ito his movements
when he plunged forward we gave back far
enough 20 avoid his antlers, and while he was
| taking another observation for another plunge,
we belabored him actively with our weapons and
again went back when he came forward. Our
| efforts seemed very futile He never raised his
head from the ground, in fact he kept his face
almost fiat on the ground with his nose nearly
between his forc-feet, except when he rolled his
| head to one side to take a new observation pre-
paratory to a plunge. In rolling his head he
necessarily raised it somewhat, because the
length and position of his antlers were such that
he could not roll his head without raising the
antlers on one side, while on the other they
touched the ground By this process we were
driven back, regularly SEINE $50 or 200 feet. and
! confess l began to have some misgivings as to
the result of the fight. l knew Drew was man
of courage-but Patrick Carey had been IN MY
employment but few months and / knew
nothing of his nervo. He, however, proved
cool and energetic warrior and fought vigorously.
NJ length, in the plunging and retreating, as l
have described, the elk turned one of his sides
toward our line of battle and one Of the men
happened to thrust him with his fork just behind
the fore leg where the skin was not so hard.
He hlnchcd, with squeal of pain or vex-
alton and began to fall back. Encouraged
by this, we pitched in more furiousy. The
blows fell faster and | think harder, and
he continued to go back. 1t was rout,
however. He fell back in good order, keeping
his antlers to the ground and in his front, and
walking backwards In this way we re-passed
the same ground over which he had driven u.s.
and forced him back until We came about oppo-
site the Dimocks, perhaps 60 feet south of them
About this point, in trying to increase his speed
he again exposed one of his TANKS, when I sue
ceeded in giving him severe scratch with my
bent up saw across the belly pretty we'll back. At
this he kicked and struck trot, and was soon
driven some 200 feet beyond where the Dimocks
were. Even in this part Of the retreat he turned
enca or twice and threatened fight, but yielded
before we get in reach of him. As soon as he
was driven to safe distance from the wounded
man, Rufus DimoOk was called down from his
tree. The horses and buggy were brought up,
and Marvin Dimock was lifted into the buggy
and borne off. While this was going on, tho elk
stood III sight stamping in threatning mode,
brandishing his antlers and now and then giving
squeal or whistle, q noise peculiar to the elk.
think more properly squeal 1t consists of
one note, is short and abrupt, like grunt, but
is on high key, not partahing of the chest notes
in any degree. Even az the buggy was driven
away, the elk followed, at respectful distance,
making threatening demonstrations as far as the
gate leading from the upper into the south park,
and two of us walked III rear Of the buggy with
our weapons TO keep him off. Passing this gate
we drove under whip with the wounded man to
Ottawa to get him to surgeon. Then he was
first raised up and afterwards he asked for va
ter AS we passed Judge Cations house, we were
met in the road by Mrs Cation and her girls with
water, of which he drank freely He spoke af-
forwards once or twice on the way, but died in
about 30 minutes after tho surgeon saw him.
There were several flesh wounds, but the sur. !
geSns said none of these could have produced |
death. Ny conviction is that the elk must have
crushed him with his head while on the ground
and produced some fatal internal injury q
This story seems pretty long one when see
it written, and the time seemed long when the |
events we're passing, but | was astonished On
consulting my watch as soon as the wounded |
man III the hands of the doctors, laid in his
bed at Mr. Drew's house, to find that but fifty
minutes had elapsed since Drew rushed into my
house for help. T. LYLE DIcKEy.
To DIR. JoHN PAUL, NJ D., President of the |
Ottawa Academy of Natural Sciences. 9li . |