Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-03-21

teeth and snoring, apparently deter
mined to keep him down.
Luke's condition was now serious
one. He was jammed down into the
snow three or four feet, though thus
far the moose had not bruised hin
much. But he knew the anima
might kill him. il once it coluo
bring its fore hoofs to bear on hi
body.
And there was 'Viry up in the road
If he called to her, she could do moth
ing in such a drift He dreaded to
brighten her. 1t was dad fix, a!
Luke expressed it, and how to get ouI
of it was more than he, in his cramp
ed aud snowy condition, could con
ceive
Meantime 'Viry, sitting in the pune
and holding the horse, was full Of
anxiety. From where she sat she
could not see the struggle that was
going on below; bat she heard the
moose snorting, and at length. hear
ing nothing of Luke, she got out Of
the pung. and, holding fast to the
reins, waded through the snow to the
log railing and looked over.
Fifty or sixty feet down the steep
bank she saw the moose in the drift.
but could not see her lover. Thorough
ly frightened, she now called out:
Luke! o Luke! Where are you
Has he killed you2"
To this appeal Luke, from deep in
the snow under The moose, replied IN
lnuffled tones:-
mo, 'Viry; no-not yeti"
Immediately the moose, hearing his
voice under it, plunged about, snort
ing furiously again, and tramping him
down.
Imagine the horror of poor 'Viry
Again she cried out in trembling
tones:-
80, Lukel Lukel has he killed
you2"
And again Luke, from deep in the
snow, replied, mo, no, 'Viry-not
yetp'
Again the moose, hearing his voice,
stamped and trod upon the poor fell
low furiously.
All this, though amusing, perhaps,
to the reader, was serious tragedy to
poor 'Vlry. Several times she repeat
ed her terrorinspired inquiry; aud
then, made desperate at the sight Of
her lovers peril, she hitched the horse
to the log railing and went down the
steep bank, through snow waist deep,
to attack the moose!
Weapon she had none, not so much
as stick, but she had a plan OF APP
proach and attack nevertheless, and
not bad one.
She took the buffalo skin and one of
the large blankets from the pung.
First she threw one of these on the
soft snow in front of her, then crept
forward upon it. This partially sus
tanned her weight Then she spread
the other one ahead, and SO worked
her way down into the ravine.
I'm coming, Luke" she called to
him.
$50 back he cried. Mortified at
the thought of the moose turning upon
her
'Viry would not go back. Her plan
"a very sensible one-was to approach
the moose and throw the big blanket
over its head.
How tne affair would have ended
it is not easy to predict. But at this
juncture. Mr. Beckwith came along.
Finding Luke's horse in the road, and
surprised at the sight of 'Viry creep
ing on buffalo skin IN the raviMe be-
low, he at once aailed her most Wig
orously and was most pathetlcally in
vited to take hand in her lone effort
at moose hunting
The itinerant Clergyman was man
who could act promptly and efficient
ly, as well as preach.
With his own reins and those from
Luke's harness, he rugged a moose,
winch after some wading in the drift
he was able to throw over the moose's
antlers. T.en bracing hard against
II tree, he contrived to east" the ami
NAL on its side. A hitch round a sap
ling secured it.
Luke now crept out of his snowy
bed With Mr. Beckwith's assistance,
he soon killed the moose; and in half
an hour they were all three on the
way back to 'Viry's home, where the
marriage took place as had been ar
ranged.