Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1875-05-16


fearfully. "Run, rum" said the old man,
"or he will have u.s." "No," said Ste
phen, you come down here and shoot him
now, or else give me the gun" But his
uncle declared he could shoot best, being
acquainted with the gum" and coming
down as near as he dared "blazed away"
The ball lodged just below the name in
the thick of the moose's neck, making a
small flesh wound, and causing him to in
fate his huge nostrils and blow his trum-
pet until the whole woods echoed. Old
Whitney was nearly frightened to death,
and ran for dear life away from the river.
''There, now, Uncle" said Steve, "be-
fore I'd run like that for moose, moose
in a trap andin the river, too; come along
back here, and let ME hev yer gun, I'll
give i'm some" "Now, Steve" said the
old gent, eyer not 'quainted wit the gun,
and We don't know how to shute. I'll
load her up ag'in." The old man was so
much excited that his trembling hand
would scatter the powder upon the snow
before he could carry it from the horn to
the gun. But he succeeded in loading at
last, and coming down upon the bank
tried to take aim, but was so agitated
with fear, that he could not hold the gun
still.
"Now, you won't hit him So" said
Steve, "come down nearer, and get down
on your knee. There now, take good aim,
and put it in just behind his shoulder
This time the shot was successful, the ball
passed through the heart, the moose turned
his nose to the wound for moment, and
then pitched over dead.
1t was now getting dark, and old Whit
ney thought they could not get the moose
to land. But they felled large cedar.
made raft, and soon lowed the carcass
ashore; then placing two 'skids" from the
rivers bank into the water, they managed
to draw the moose ashore. They now at
tempted to kindle fire and camp for the
night, but their -works-tlint, steel,
and punk-wouldno work, their "tinder"
was damp, and Stephen decided to make
a ''beat," and walk all night to keep from
freezing.
He had not gone far when he came upon
wood-road and saw that a team had re-
Gently passed along. Returning to call
his uncle, they followed the road and soon
came into a small clearing, and saw a
light streaming from a cabin window
it proved to be the house Of one "Wyer, y
celebrated hunter, who havingha COM
pany that evening, the family were up
later than usual. The Whitneys tarried
with the Wyers through the night, and
following morning went in canoe, ac-
companied by Wyer to dress the moose,
Wyer suggested that some wild animals
would be ''afoul of the carcass" and
directed that they should approach the
place cautiously, under cover Of the bank
but as they turned bend in the river
they saw smoke curling up near where
they had killed the moose. Said Whit
new, ''there is somebody there, " and on
reaching the spot. found two Of their
neighbors, who, thinking them lost in the
forest. or killed by some wild beast, had
followed their trail to the place where
thew found the moose, and then, thinking
them drowned, secured the raft they had
left. and were searching the river bottom
for their bodies.
The carcass was dressed and the meat
carried in the canoe to "Whitney's Land
ing" thence with team to their homes.
When the moose was turned upon his
back, while the skin was being taken OH,
his frozen leg reached some 'seven inches
above the head of man who was six feet
two in height"
To prove the great strength of the
moose, we may here inform the reader
that he carried the bear trap on his fore
leg through dense swamps-swamps where
the hackmatacks were very thick, and in
doing so frequently went over "wind-falls''
nearly six feet above ground. In passing
through the large growth he cut the bark
from the trees with the trap all along his
way. ''Steve," who was then lad, is
now growing grey, but delights to relate
the adventure with his Uncle "Bill Whit
ney" and the moose, and always becomes
very much excited when doing so.-Port-
land Transcript.