Morning journal and courier., 1889-09-20
FREED BY WOUNDED MOOSE.


 They Are Savage Customers When
 They Ges Hunter at Disadvan-
 taxe.
 From the Minneapolis Tribune.1 |
 On coming to the footprints found 1t was a moose that had been along there, and had kept our track, as easier than the deep, heavy snow. I followed along, making az little noise as possible, and found that he quietly fed at every tree he could reach; then 1 came to where he had lain down during the storm. I knew from this that he could not be great distance off, and I went on slowly and cautiously. He kept the track most of the time, but would, when @ good feeding tree was handy, get out in the deep snow, but soon got back again. In my moc- casin feet made no noise; the signs grew fresher, and 1t was not long before I came to where he had rested the night before. I on my knees and crept along, and soon had the satisfaction of hearing the breaking of branches ahead of me. I had with me my short fowling piece, loaded for a deer, with three buokshot in it. The charge would have been good for deer at short range, but not for @ moose, unless could hit his neck bone or cut his jugular. So I worked my self along on the path as noiselessly as possible, and when within 8 thick olump Ol tion. I had the satisfaction of seeing the moose within easy gun shot, but not on the beaten path. He was just reaching up his long head and nose to the top of 8 small tree, on the branches aad twigs of which he was feeding. I had my snow shoes under one arm and the gun in the other. I dropped the shoes as quickly as I could and took aim at him, but he had either scented or got eight of me, for in a flash, before I could get my gun up, he made 8 jump and was out of sight in the trees.
 did not believe he would go far, so slipped my feet into the toe straps of the snow shoes, and it was lucky for me that did not stop to fasten them on. fol lowed on his track and in short time found he had got enough of the deep snow to me and his long ears projecting for ward; he did not turn to run as I ad- vanced on him, but kept this bobbing up and down, SO that it covered his front neck and breast. As he stood facing me could hit nothing bus his face and fore head, and I waited for him to hold hia head up long enough for me to aim under, and as thought had him right let ge at him. He was not more than fifty yards from me, and I could see in an instant what my buckshot had done for the moose Just as I fired he must have thrown his head down again and got the charge in hit l nose and face. One shot went through hii l nose and lodged in the jaw, giving hin l the toothache; the other two struck hin l fair in the forehead between the eyes anG flattened out on the bone.
 l Myl wasn't he mada It didn't take hin l long to take in the situation. He mad for me at once. giving me no time for re fection or to reload; no time to climb l tree or to. get behind one. There wa nothing between him and me. All coul, l do was to turn and run. Ae turned I no ticed few rods to my right large ceda tree that had turned up by the roots ant lay with it's top at an angle some ten o
 fifteen feet up from the snow, and wa high enough at the roots for one to craw l under. made for it. It was race for life As put my hands on the tree realized fl one more jump the sharp hoofs of the moos would be on me unless could get over tn
 tree. I dropped my gun, put both hands O