New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-06
NOTES OF AMERICAN LIFE.
COUPONS AND MOOSE.
"REMINISCENCES OF A VETERAN ADIRoN-
DACK HUNTER

n
DACK HUNTER
kccne valley, Jan with his chair comfortably
Tilted against the wall, one afternoon Abram Hail.
an octogcnanan pioneer of Keenc Valley sat looking
compaccntly at the fire and addressing his son-in-
law.
These bloated bondholders,S he was saving these
bloated bondholders, they all vote for free trade
Il don't blame them, eIther,' he continued, with
twinkle in his eye !" If had two three hundred
thousand dollars In bonds, I'd vote for FREQ trade my
self 1t wouldn't make any difference to me then
IL the country did 60 to the dogs. heard the other
day of man in NewYork City who had big pile Of
bonds. On the first of the month he'd take pair
OF shears and cut of his cupons; and he had many
u cut OIL that he actually made his thumb Sore and
had 10 have IL poultced up. Then he complained
ABOUT 1t. ! say, give me a few Of the bonds and
III run the risk Of making my thumb sorol"
Inc sonin-lsw interrupted him
Rather, these two gentlemen that want to
near you tell something about hunting" said be.
Then. having been formally introduced made
rev casual remarks, and lot the old man take tho
burden OF tho talk
ies, said he in answer to question, game
used to be thick in the old days We could 60 out
with good hound any day and kill deer before
breakfast And VIC didn't have to walk around all
day either before could find deer put the dogs
on. oh, my, my how the times have changed!
u had some hrstratc dogs then. One we had TO
tie up when didn't want venison for II we didn't
he'd be running deer round the house all the time
and when a deer comes running at man he don't
stop TO think whether he wants meat
or not before he shoots I've killed three good
deer ahead of that dog one morning. AS soon as
the deer he'd driven down was killed, he'd so right
back for another II we didn't ketch him.
We had another dog that would run deer
down and kill him without any help at ALL lie
always did II in the same way. When he'd ketch up
to the deer his first would be to grab one Of its
fore legs and twist IT; and then, the deer fell
he'd let go and fasten on to its throat. Once he
started two yearlngs and killed them both before they
got water. When he'd bled the first one, he
didn't stop minute. but kept right til he'd got the
other too"
Tell them about those you killed at the
Upper Pond. father" suggested the son-in-law.
al was considerably spryer when killed them than
be now" said the old man. They were the last
that killed In this part Of the country, though
have heard Of that shot good deal later over
at Blue Mountain Lake. There three of US started
out Friday, Bill Parkman Frank Harris aud my
self The snow was deep. but there a nice crust,
and the snowshoeing good. When we got to the
Upper Pond found the little bark camp that was
there full of snow. We split shovcls out OF piece
of spruce and cleared It out II was fearfully cold
that night but had good fire, and slept we'll
Saturday morning We started early We crossed the
pond and struck upon Panther Mountain, and then
toward Marcy. We had five good dogs but we
only had gun between us. Frank Harris carried
that Bill had axe, for we didn't know where we
might have to camp that night and had nothing
but dirk knife. All OF us had our pack baskets and
It was hard enough getting through the woods with
nothing else but them
About 10 o'clock we, all Of a sudden, ran on two
moose a COW and calf. The calf started north back
the way we'd Just come, but the COW went south, and
all tho dogs after her. The old moose ran straight
for the Boreas Pond the big fiat, and from the
size of her tracks knew she must be tearer She
never minded brush anything, but made straight
track Presently to where cedar tree, about
the size of that stovcppe had been lying across her
path. II hadn't made particle OF difference 10 hef'
She struck It where IL breast HIGH and one piece,
about two feet long, that she'd taken clear out Of the
middle lay there on the snow. Boys says J. I'VE
want 10 look out somebody's going to get hurt'
When the COW got TO the pond she kept right along for
the inlet where It was open water. The dogs lost her
there and when got up we concluded 10 eat dinner
We hadn't but Just begun when one Of the dogs struck
the trail where the had come out OF the water,
and gave tongue. The other dogs took after him, and
said ITS time TO be eating boys, that mooSes
got to be killed.
We picked up things and started of In hurry,
expecting to have another long chase, but We hadn't
gone but lite ways when, by luck, we came upon
her. She'd tried TO a wind slash, whore the
trees were all lying cris-cross, with the snow drfted
through with her fore legs one side OF goodsized
tree and her hind legs on the other She was hang
ing there and couldn't touch solid ground, and was
Just as helpless II she'd been caught in trap.
One OF the dogs that was part BUD wac taking big
mouthfuls of hair and skin of the side Of her head
as we came up. He'd take moutfful and then spit
IT out and take another, and before we'd time to do
anything, he'd bit one ear clean on KERR hed
60, kerr. N.Y. but It was a sight!
Bill stepped up TO put the poor brute out OF It's
misery. Look OUT says /, 'or you'll Kill that dog
NO l WON'T says he, and he shot the moose in the
nose Being afraid Of hitting tho dog, he couldn't
put the bullet Just where he ought to, and the conse
uuencc was that he didn't kill the cow. Then FRANK
hit her blow the top of the head with his axe
lust like they hit beef critter. Give me show,
boys says /. Ive got to have my share in this Kill
ing and l stepped up and cut her throat with my
dirk knife. . $50. - IN M
TO skin her had 10 cut pole and pry her up
mighty fine piece meat, fat and big, with as fine
hide as | ever After we had skinned her, we
of us took the best part of the hams, and the other
man made his pack of the SKIN 1t was late before
got through and we hsd 10 aHs soI Sne rs the
ground well and didn't have much trouble our
packs aa seen n when we got home we found that
each of The hams weighed nigh onto eighty pounds;
We lad d' brought along. Monday morning the boys
wanted 10 go home, but told them that for my part
I
hnIed sNov,s our only chance to get that calf moose
saws J. and If you can't live for day on the moose
meat we've got, you're not ut to call yourselves
They decided to stay for day longer j., and dn we
trck ont for tho where calculated the young
,noose woud be We in luck again, for we
hadn't gone moren mile before we struck MS rsa
trail The dogs followed him lively, and he clrcled
hack toward our camp. Presently, by the way the
dogs was carrying on, we know they'd bayed him !
hurried mn and found him fighting the dogs near sand
Point. at the upper end Of the pond lie was
a-comne toward me- l had the gun that DAY: ana
7 waited til he got within twenty feet OF
me and the boys didn't hayes no extra
butchering 10 do after ! shot We buried him mil, ID
hams hack with us. Afterward we made another trip
and cot second load Of meat, but there was no
snow boeinc after that and good deal of fine meat
The old gentleman paused, Then, some recolec-
t,on nassinc through his mind, he laughed hearty,
pleasant laugh. -, .s .. , !. ,-o,,
on "The place put up at didn't sui me AZ All. Tor
., ras dirty and didn't Ike the kind OF people they
lad so | made up my mind 10 go somewhere else. II
od Inn my III