Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1879-08-07
MIILHEIM, PA, THURSDAY AUGUST s7,4lS79y0LIgY

leaf, even at a great distance-will make
him almost jump out Of his skin. He ID
also apt to make the most ludicrous mis-.
takes. Toward morning, about daybreak,
| have frequently mistaken the first faint
buzz of some minute fly, within foot oI
80 Of my ear, for the call of moose two
or three miles off.
About ten o'clock the Indian gave it up
in despair and came down the tree we
rolled ourselves up in or rugs pulled the
hoods of our blanket coats over our heads,
and went to sleep. awoke literally shak-
ing with cold. 1t was still the dead of
night and the stars were shining with in
tense brilliancy, to my great disappoint-
ment, for was in hopes of seeing the first
streaks of dawn. 1t was freezing very
hard, far too hard for me to think of going
to sleep again. SO reused the Indian and
| suggested that he should try another call or
two. Accordingly we stole down to the
edge of the little point of wood in which
we had enscunced ourselves and in a few
minutes the forest was re-echoing the
plaintive notes of the moose. Not an an
swer, not a sound--utter silence, as il all
the world were dead, broken suddenly and
horribly by yell that madeTthe blood cur
die in ones veins Ii was the long, quay
ering, human, but unearthly scream of a
loon on the distant lake. After what seemed
to me many hours, but what was in reality
but a short time, the first indications of
dawn revealed themselves in the rising of
the morning star, and the slightest possible
paling in the eastern sky. The cold grew
almost unbearable. That Curious shiver
that runs through nature the first lev cur
rent of air that precedes the day-chilled
us to the bones. II rolled myself up in my
blanket and lighted pipe, trying to retain
what little caloric remained in my body,
while the Indian again ascended the tree.
BY the time he had called twice il was gray
dawn. Birds were beginning to move
about, and busy squirrels to look out for
their breakfast of pine. buds / sat listen
ing intently, and watching the blank emo
tionless face of the Indian as he gazed
around him, when suddenly saw his coun-
tenance blaze up with vivid excitement.
His eyes seemed to start from his head, his
muscles twitched, his face glowed. he
seemed transformed in a moment into a
different being. AT the same time he began
with the utmost celebrity, but with extreme
caution to descend to the ground. He mo-
toned to me not to make any noise, and
whispered that moose was coming across
the barren and must be close by. Grasp
ing my rifle, we crawled carefully through
the grass, crisp and noisy with frost, down
to the edge of our island of woods, and
there, after peering cautiously around some
stunted juniper bushes, | saw standing,
about sixty yards off, bull moose. He
looked gigantic in the thin morning mist
which was beginning to drift up from the
surface of the barren. Great volumes of
steam issued from his nostrils, and his
whole aspect, looming in the fog, was vast
and almost terrific. He stood there per-
fectly motionless, staring at the spot from
which he had hears-thf crv of the supposed \
COW, lrresolute whether TO come on or not.
The Indian was anxious to bring him lit
tie closer, but did not wish to run the risk
of soaring him, and so, taking aim as fairly
as | could, considering was shaking all
over with cold, fired and struck him be-
hind the shoulder. He jumped forward on
his knees, jumped up, rushed forward for
about two hundred yards, and then fell
dead at the edge of the heavy timber on
the far side Of the barren.