Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-03-31
IN THE FAR NORTHWEST.
Some Thrilling Experiences In Desr Hunt,
From Private Letters of a Young Army ONO

Some Thrilling Experiences In Deor Haunting
From Private Letters of Young Army Omcer.
FORT CoLv1ILE, W. T.. Feb. q, 1881.
I Ihave at last succeeded in putting in a
days hunting. Taking advantage of a
pack mule returning to our hunting camp
after bringing in a load of venison, DR..
M***** and sent out buffalo robe and
blankets and finishing up our work by
10 o'clock on Saturday we mounted our
horses in full fighting .trim-moccasins,
fur caps and gloves and buckskin-lined
coats, with our broad " "bear-paw snow
shoes dangling from our saddles. After
three hours slow riding along the trail
made by the pack mules, when the snow
almost touched our feet (the horses STEP
ping accurately into the deep holes made
by their asinine predecessors), We ar
rived at the "hunting LODGE" and a
more picturesque one it would be hard to
find, buried as it was deep in a forest of
cedar surmounted by high, rocky, wooded
palisades. A space about twenty feet
square had been cleared of snow, which
all around lay five Or six feet deep. One
| side of this snow wall was broken by the
fronts of two small tents buried almost to
the. ridge poles, but looking snug and
comfortable with their deep bedding Of
branches and blankets. A bright fire
burned directly in front Of each tent door,
and the high wood piles between the two.
testified to the necessity of not stinting the
supply of fuel, while the numerous pans
and kettles about one of the flames and
the odors arising therefrom convinced us
that though our table was hewn from solid
snow its delights were not to be despised.
In fact, in a very few minutes our horses
were secured with the mules and champ
ing their evening feed, and we ourselves
still more asreeably occupied reclining on
bough-cushioned snow seats about the
walls of our enclosure, slipping hot coffee
aud hastily firing up with venison steak,
for we proposed to use even the little re-
naming daylight in hunting. An hours
snow-shoeing brought us to fresh tracks,
and separating We now went at the work
with keen rivalry for the first blood. Be-
fore long clatter of falling rocks almost
over my head called my attention to four
handsome black-tailed deer just van-
ishing over the rocky wall, along
the base of which 1 was moving.
Up went my carbine sights to seven hun
dred yards, but.they were too quick for
me. l, however, determined to follow
them, as they appeared not to be alarmed,
and went at the steep shining snow
bank with will. The climbing was very
hard, and the wear and tear of kicking a
hole through the crust with the point of
my moccasin (Which projects through the
netting of the snow shoe) began to tell
upon my toes accustomed to the rigid
boot-sole. It soon got sleeper, however,
and had to depend on my elbows to hold
my ground, but just imagine my feelings
at discovering while in this predicament,
that largo log only $50 yards ahead had
been transformed into three magnificent
deer, who were watching my painful
manGuvres with evident curiosity. The
idea of any deer being such fools as to
stand like that almost took my breath
away. Or rather would have done SO had
my climbing left me any to lose. But l
soon found that the deer were not 50 badly
off as it appeared, and indeed the laugh
came very near being on their side, for
whenever attempted to rise enough to
shoot over the snow my footing would
give way, and after two or three igno
minious though involuntary retreats of
this kind, again dug my elbows into the
snow, and, resaining my lost ground,
moved on to a log where 1 expected to get
a hold; but the crust here was sleeper, and
finally in desperation l sprang up in full
view on the log itself, fired vicious shot
at the enemy, which was now on the full
jump, and, losing my balance, rolled in
confusion twenty or thirty yards down.
ward before l could secure an anchorage
with the butt CT my carbine and bring
myself up with round turn. Regaining my
equilibrium found more or less to nv
surprise that my shot had told on one of
the deer, and succeeded in sending six or
seven moro shots after the other two be-
fore they were out of range, though with
out perceptib!e effect. Thinking over the
affair I have felt very much flattered to re-
member that did not experience the "buck
fever " and that the first shot ever fired
at deer killed. l suppose the explana-
tion is that was too much occupied in
keeping my footing to have any time left
for nervousness.
a signal shot from the doctor now ap-
prised me that he had heard the fusilade,
anil answering with a whoop to convince
him that l had not been eaten by q
grizzly Or a panther, l baptised my
hunting knife and rejoined him-when
followed = three mile tramp to the
camp, which the deep snow and dark
ness rendered long and memorable,
for more than half of the time vas spent in