The Arizona sentinel. [volume] (Arizona City [Yuma], Yuma County, A.T. [Ariz.]) 1872-1911, 1885-10-10
a TRYING SITUATION.

| n dangerous AuVcHbuE6 WIFI a MOOS6 ii
the Lumber Regions of Maine.
Years ago, when the lumber busines
on the Aroostook River was in the
height of its prosperity, there tlourisheC
a class of men who followed that call
ing the year round, working in the
woods in winter, ION the drive" in the
spring, and after 4 few weeks stay in
the towns near the mouth of the river,
started back to the wilderness to cruise
out site for the next seasons opera.
ton, and to prepare the camps in
readiness for the crew.
The majority of them were single
men, and generous, whole-hearted
set they were, though rough and reck-
less. These weeks of idleness were too
often spent in dissipation, and they
squandered their years wages in care
less haste, making them glad to go
back to their wild life in the forest
again. But there were exceptions to
the rule, and many steady, temperate
who carried the fruits of his labor to
his family, and spent his leisure time al
his home.
A man of this latter class was old
Dan Beckwith, who, on the decline of
the lumber trade, made little home in
the woods far up on the river, gaining
livelihood by hunting and by raising
few vegetables, which he disposed OF
in the towns lower down the river. 1t
was my fortune to make his acquaint-
ance during a recent sojOurn in that
part of the country, and l spent several
days at his home in the wilderness,
during which time he related, among
numerous others, the following incl
dent, which impressed me yividly, told
as il was IN hls peculiar dialect and ac-
companied by singalarly expressive
gestures. The language Of the real old
fashioned woodsman Is quaint MKT
ure of the English, French and Indian
idioms, and must be heard to be ap-
preciated, so l viii not attempt to fol
low it.
lit was nigh on to thirty years ago
that it happened, he began, as we sat
under the spreading maple which
shaded his doorway that pleasant sum-
mer evening, ''when moose was as
thick ali through these woods as cattle
are in farm-yard, and a more laugha-
BILE and at the same time a more dam
gerous position | never heard of; for
while L was rOOSting up in the birch
out of harms way, poor Jim was hav-
ing it hot and heavy on the ground be-
low, and it come nigh to be no laugh
ing matter with him. But I'm getting
ahead of my story.
''Ye see, we-that is, my chum Jim
Larkins and l-were cruising out a
chance that summer for old Ben Love-
ly, one of the biggest operators on the
river. We had hired by the year that
spring, and it was our first summer S
cruise, for we were young fellows then,
and not much used to the business.
''Well, we got along pretty well,
considering, AMI about the first of Au-
gust we had the chance pretty well
cruised up, and the place for the camp
located. We had one more days cruis-
ing to do, and then we intended to go
down river after the crew, who we're to
build the camps and swamp out the
main roads.
1--WE went light, taking only food
enough for lunch, and leaving our old
rifle in camp, for we had needed it only
two or three times all summer; only
once had we been bothered with wild
animals although we saw lots of them
and that was when a catamount tackled
us. But I'll tell you that some other
time.
"Well, as | said, we left the rifle,
and so had no weapons except the axe
and the little ole pistol that Jim always
carried. We cruised about nearly all
day, spotting good pile of timber,
and as the sun began TO sink toward
the west we starScu Tor camp. We had
travelled some distance, when we sud-
denly came upon herd of seven carl
bou, which were so tame that they
would hardly move out of their tracks
to get away from us. We never made
a practice of soaring or hunting any,
thing that came in our way, unless nee
essary; but Jim said he would teach
them not to stand in our way, and, draw
ing his pistol, he thoughtlessly pointed
1t at the nearest caribou, which stood
but few yards away, and fired.
1.-The bullet would hardly have killed
a mosquito, but it wounded the caribou
and he began to bleat piteous-
y making sound a good deal like a
sheep's cry. Immediately we heard a
below and crash in the woods behind
us, and, turning, we saw a gigantic
moose angrily approaching us, looking
Drimful of fight.
Il was standing some three or four
yards from Jim, under a big birch,
whose branches almost touched my
head, and | swung myself up pretty
lively, l tell you, while Jim had just
time to dodge behind tree before the
moose was upon him; and an ugly
looking old fellow he was, too. Why, i
{ seemed almost as if you could light
match by the wicked fire in his eye as
: mashed viciously out from under his
pig branching hornsl
One thing, perhaps, you don't know,
put 1t is as true as it is strange, and ev-
Dry old hunter who knows will tell you
20. 1t sometimes hannenS that moose |