The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-09-21
SAVED BY A BEAR.

creature has been seen by score of people
living along the Miramchi. 1. stood nearly
as high as a giraffe, and had in summer two
mighty antlerS which curved out and
branched so widely as to resemble two
trees. Whenever seen it was tearing at
mad pace through the woods, making
cracking noise and throwing the branches
in every direction. and its belIowinEs terrI-
fed every one who heard en-. us eyes
were large and fierce, aud lave been told
that in the dark they smOlderei like two
great balls Of phosphorescent dlme.
Many beIated travellers and umbermen
saw It late in the night on their way through
the forest to some clearing, and they related
how its terrible mO0ing resoundcd for miles
through the woods and hills on a still sum
uer night. Whenever itsaw human being
il seemed TO grow eGraGed. thrust its huge
head downward, and at once charged But
as it kept constantly in the covert the plr-
sued person was enabled to climb into tree
and escape the wrath of the monster. Many
a traveller was obliged 70 take refuge IN
tree at shutdown and compelled to remain
there ali night with the two greenist yellow
eyehalls of tie beast glaring upon him till
daylight.
Four Of. five persons who were not enabled
to get into trees in time became victims OF
the wild brute. From the marks found up
on them it was clear that he had goaded
them to death with his horns ana then
trampled upon them with his pgndeTOuS
feet II was said also that ne tore MS VIC
Tins with his teeth, and it seems TO have
been established by those who saw him that
he raced among the trees with his mouth
open and ball Of foam on either SIDE ol his
laws. Ii was natural for the inhabitants TO
believe that the moose was MAJ, Ike uog,
and when they sometimes found their cattle
dead i'm the woods, swollen OF showing
scratches or wounds, they believed that they
had been bitten by the moose.
The animal did II appear near the settle
meats in winter for the snow IS usually
deep and soft IN these WOODS, ana IL Is ulLu-
cult for deer to traye. Tie popular be-
lief WAS that the mad moose lived far away
in the heart of the forest in what Is called
"a ward, =" eating the branches OF FIR and
spruce trees and digging under the snow 1'r
leaves roofs and MOSES. a couple OF nun
tiers were aid once to have come upon hun
in his winter home, aud he beloved so
loudly as TO fill the woods with t=mult; MS
ewes hiaz. q with rage. and he dug his feet
in the snow with such violence that it rose
about him Ike a white cloud. AS they had
no weapon thy were oOhgeu 10 pass anu
leave him unmOleSted
One autumn afternoon boy about 10
wears old. named George Adams, left his
fathers farmhouse hear by the edge OF tle
river to get some things at the store In the
nearest settlement, which was about three
miles distant HIS course lay along faint
path through 4 thick stretch OF spruce and
nine forest He made some delay at the
settlement. and when he set out for home 1t
was nesrly sunset. When he entered the
forest it was already gloomy, and he hur-
ried along for in his heart there was great
dread of the mad moose which, In summer
- 40 a =.
He had gone over the path so often before
that he instinctiyeiy made his way along,
sometimes walking and sometimes Iunnlng.
Every unusual sound in the wood terrified
him and he regretted he had not brought
his fathers gun, for a year before he had
obtained permission TO carry it, after the
latest victim OF the moose md been dis
covered BY his fathers house gOTed TO death.
When about UwO-thirdS of the way home,
and in the densest and most lonesome part
of the bush, George was horrIhed to hear
a fierce believing near him, and then 1t
seemed from the cracking and swlshlng as
If a cyclone were passing through the forest.
He at once tn ught oil the mad moose. and
looking in the direction OF the confusion
saw among the trees and moving quickly
toward him two globes of snl0ldering fire.
He flung down his parcel and at once
cIanbered into a pine tree. the branches
Of which grew well down on the bOle.
It was well that he was so quick, for he
hal not got more than ten feet from the
ground before he felt a blow upon the
foot from one of the moose's horns.
When the animal saw that it had been
foIled it increased its mooing and below
Ing till all the forest rang with hlueOuS
noises Higher and higher George went
into the tree and then lie found two
branches growing close enough together 20
afford him an easy resting pla-e. His cap
had fallen off when he began to climb and
the moose first took it in his mouth, then
flung it from him and butted it saVagely
with its horns. The parcel, which con-
tanned articles obtained from the store, was
the next object for the bTute'S fury; be
stamped upon it, burst it aSuuder, and with
one of its antlers scattered the contents
among the trees. The boy sat there stiff
win terror wat hing the friEhtful animal,
which in turn looked at him with its dread
full eyes Up through the branches OF the
tree, After n while the moose lay down
directly below him, his head resting on his
fUreiegs, his eyes turned upward.
George knew that he was safe here Tor thu
night but what would his parents think if
he did not get home at the time expected !?
Thi re were several paths between bis home
and the settlement, and as they did not
know bv which one he went it might b. a
long time before they could release him from
his predicament. He knew but too we'll
from what happened to others that the beast
would keep him there all night and how
much longer he could not guess. He sat
there in the branches for hours till the
constellation known as the dipper or
great bear stood upon its end in the
heavens and was turning over; then
the sky darkened, great masses OF black
clouds rolled across the heavens, and very
soon seemed TO touch the tops of the trees.
Soon the lightning shot from cloud to cloud
like mighty scarlet daggers; rain began to
patter among the branches and great thun-
ders roured and reverberated across the
heavens, all the while the moose glazing at
him with his two terrifying eyes. Hour
after hour he still lay there upon the branches
drenched to the skin by the drlYlngf rain
storm. Two or three times he slept for a
few minutes, and once upon awakening he
nearly lost his balance and fell; so he sat
upright, resolved not to dOZe any more. As
the wind went whistliug through the trees
lis teeth Chartered with the cold.
bow glad he was when the gray dawn
came struggling through the murk! and
when the day closed out he raised his voice
and cried loudly for help, This startled the
moose, who had lain in the same place in the
moss through the night, and he jumped
upon his feet, made hasty breakfast from
buds and young branches about tile base of
the tree, and once more took up his position
of watching the boy. George, as the morning
passed. began to grow hungry and thirsty,
every few minutes raising his voice and con-
tinuing TO cry for help. The moose made a
plunge for a spring near by, drank cOpiOusly,
ate some more buds and young bushes, and
again took its post under the tree. Hour
after hour passed, and the boys position in
the branches became almost unbearable
he was sore, sleepy, and weak from hunger
and thirst; when he cried out his voice was
feeble. and the hide0us animal he thought
was mOckiBg his heplessness When he
saw the sun go down behind the far pines q
cold feeling of despair entered his heart
He never expected to see his parents again
and shuddered to think that when he Tel
asleep some time during the night he would
fall from his place and be manned TO death
by the fierce beast. 1t was not until the
second night had come that his hope com.
pIetely broke down. Then he began to cry,
and as if to mimic his misery the moose bel
lowed louder and louder.
About an hour after dark he saw the
moose suddenly start up aud thrust its head
Into the air toward the thickest part OF the
brush; then 1t shifted and snorted, and a
the same time the wearied boy heard 6
sound, as If some heavy body were break
ing dry twigs, come from the point where
his jailer was watching. He straighten ed
himself up on the branches and listened
eagerly: then through the thick dusk he saw
a small pair of burning eyes approaching
the moose. The latter stamped the ground
with his fore feet and thrust its head low