Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1889-06-28
PALM OF THE INFANTS HAND.
PERILS OF THE HUNT.

An Exciting Episode in the Life of a Hunter
| was camping one night, late in the
| fall of 1S49, at the head of Mollychunn-
kemunk Lake, says j. g. Rich, in Forest
| and Stream, near a stream which ruus
from the ponds known as Richardson
Ponds, and within ten rods of the lake.
1t was dark and windy night, threaten
| ing storm, so / put my night wood in
Si"e ny he'd camp and reloading my
= ur. Al hTry it in convenient place,
hu!t uu y cheerful fire outside, ate a
| hearty upper of boiled front and other
| filings ard lay down for the night. How
| Iorg | slept | cannot tell, but when
awoke / WAS on my kpees peering out in
to the darkness, the rain was pouring
and the fire just about gone. And just
then tremendous yell or screech saluted
me in the dir ctiOn of the lake, not over
a gaushot va. My hair stood on end
The ii. uatIun VAS alarming and my nerves
crystal zed. But l did not loose nv
presence of mird. But holding on to my
gun / at once set about kindliDg a fire,
and of the few Goals in sight I soon got
blaze with my kindling wood and birch
bark. | consider a fire in dark night
the best protection against Wild beasts. |
heard several more of these fearful
screeches but the animal evidently did
not like my fire, for he steered eastward
toward the mountain, giving me a stun
her of good bye yell.
There was no more sleep for me that
nix b., and as soon as day broke 1 went to
the lake, and there deep i'll the sandy
shore were the foot prints of large pan
ther With tee nails or claws full two
inches long, and the creeping tracks near
to each other when he passed my camp
show ed that he was wicked. When he
came to the stream he leaped across,
some twenty-five feet, sinking his feet
deep into the sand, showing that he was
q heavy animal.
have no doubt that this was what
hunters term Indian Devil, creature
with which a man in the woods alone has
no business. l have tracked a creature
like this since, but never heard his voice,
and never want TO-
After 1910, for nearly twenty years
moose were abundant in Maine, and il
was lawful 20 kill them with dogs, or at
any time Of the year; so almost every
body laid in supply of moore meat each
winter for the year, which were saved by
smoking, drying or sailing. Those farm
ers who old not care 70 hunt them usu-
ally had enough given them by their
neighbours or bought it cheaply.
Atone time four of us were chasing q
moose on the Size of mountain west of
RargeIey Lake, on coming ont into an
open place in the woods, the moose
stopped and ''rulksd," as We termed it. In
our party was a Is yssr-olo boy who was
a brave lad ard liked 70 show of pretty
we'll, so when the old bull stopped, this
fellow, Dan, ran into the open place near
the moore 20 get better look at him.
But no soop er had Dan showed inns, If 20
the moose than the moose started for
him There vas about four feet of snow
and We ali had on snoEshots. Only one |
of the party carried gun, and he vas a |
few PAGES back, just coming up. We all /
sang ont, "Brir the gun! Bring the gun.
quIcbp So the gun soon got there, but |
not 90 qu,ck a. the moose, for four or five /
good 81 des brought the moose and boy |,
too near together. The boy was not idle |
for be turned ar d made for big knoll or
hiIIock OF snow few yards away, and /
sseirg the nco-e upon him he dove into
tie -rozbank. oas Of sight, but no. unit. /
the moose had tramped beat where the
lad was last seen, and IN less time than I /