The Helena independent., 1892-09-12
INSTINCT OF BIRDS AND ANIMALS.

4 HAVE OFTEN HAD OCCASION TO
(E notice how much moro intelllgencs
4 the bird carries in its eye than does
the animal or usiruped.
The animal will ses you. too, II you are
moving, but II you stand quito still even
the wary fox will pass within few yards
of you and not know you from STUMP,
unless the wind brings him your scent.
But = crow or hawk will discern you
whom you think yourself quite hidden. His
eye il as keen AS the fox's sense Of smell.
and seems fairly to penetrate wells and
screens.
Tho chief reliance OF tho animals for
their safety, ~ we'll az for their food, -
upon ths kesnnsss Of their scent. while the
fowls Of the air depend mainly upon the
eye.
hunter out in Missouri relates how
closely 4 deer approached him one day in
tho woods. The hunter was standing on
ths top Of q log, about four feet from the
ground, when the deer bounded playfully
into glade in tho forest, a couple Of hum
drsd yards away. The animal began feed
ing and to move slowly toward the hunter.
He was on tho alert. but did not see or
scent his enemy. He never took bite of
grass, says the sportsman, without first put
ting his nose to It, and then instantly rails
ing his head and looking about.
t In about ten minutes the deer had ap-
preached within fifty yards Of tho gunner;
then the murderous instinct Of the latter
began to assert itself. His gun was loaded
with fine shot, but he dared not make q
move to change his shells lest the deer see
him. He had one shell! loaded with No. 4
shot in his pocket. Oh! il he could only
get that shell in his gun.
The unsuspeeting doer kept approaching;
presently he passed behind big tree, and
his head was for q moment hidden. The
hunter sprang to his work; hs got one Of
the No. shells ont of his gun and got his
Then the shining eyes of the deer were in
view again. The hunter stood in this atti.
tude Ave minutes. How we wish he had
been compelled to stand for five hundred!
Then another tree shut off the bucks
gaze for a moment; in went the No. shell
quickly, but there was no time to bring it
to the shoulder. The animal was now only
thirty yards away. His hair was smooth
and glossy, his eyes were bright and happy.
and every movement was full of grace and
beauty. Time after time he seemed to look
straight at the hunter, and once or twice a
look Of suspicion seemed to cross his face
The man began to realize how painful it
was to stand perfectly still on the top of a
log for fifteen minutes. Every muscle ached
and seemed about to rebel against his will.
II tho buck held to his course he would pass
not more than fifteen feet to one side Of the
gun and the man that held 1t thought he
might almost blow his heart out.
There was one more tree for him to pass
behind. when the gun could be raised. He
approached the tree. rubs his nose again st
Ii, and for moment is half hidden benin d
it. When his head appeared on the other
side, the gun was pointed straight at his
eye-and with only No. shot, which could
only wound him. but could not kill him.
The deer stops; he does not expose his
body back Of the fore leg. a. tho hunter
had wished. The latter begins to be
nshamed of himself. and has about made
up his mind to let the beautiful creature
pass unharmed, when the buck suddenly
gets his scent, his head Roes up, his NOS
trils expand and look of terror comes
good resolutions of the hunter. Bang! goes
the gun. the deer leaps into the air, wheels
around couple of times, RECEIVERS himself
and is off in twinkling. no doubt carrying,
the narrator says, a hundred No. shot in
his face and neck.
The man says: ''Ivo always regretted
shooting at him."
should think he would. But man in
the woods. with a gun in his hand. is no
longer mamie is brute. Tho devil is
in the gun to make brutes of us all.
If the game on this occasion had been,
mating eye would have figured out the hun
ter there on that log very quickly.
The manly exploit of the western hunter
reminds me of an exploit of Brooklyn
man, who last winter killed a bull moose
in Maine. It was more sportsman-like
proceeding, but my sympathies were en-
tirely with the moose. The hero tells the
story in New York raper. With his
guides all armed with Winchester rifles
be penetrated far into the wilderness till he
found moose yard. 1t was. near the top OF
mountain.
They started one OF the animals and then
took up its trail.
As soon as the moose found it was being
followed, it led right off in hopes of out
walking its enemies. But they had snow
shoes and he did not; they had food and he
did not. On they went. pursued and pur-
day after day. The moose led them the
most difficult route he could find.
At night the men would mako camp,
build fire, eat and smoke and roll them
selves in their blankets and sleep. In the
morning they would soon come up to tho
camping place of the poor moose, where
the imprint of his great body showed in the
snow, and where he had passed q cold, sup
PEERLESS night.
On the fifth day the moose began to show
signs of fatigue; he rested often, he also
tried to get around and behind nis pur-
0aers and let them pass on. Think how in
adequate his wit was to cope with the prob
lem-he thought they would pass by him if
be went to ono side.
On the morning Of the sixth day he had
made up his mind to travel no farther, but
to face his enemies and have it out with
them.
AS he heard them approach he rose up
from his couch of snow, muno erect, his
look fierce and determined. Poor creature.
he did not know how unequal the contest
was. How l wish he could at that moment
have had Winchester rifle, too and had
known how to use it. There would have
been fair play then.
With suoh weapons as God had given him
he had determined to meet the foe. and if
they had had only such weapons as God
had given them. he would have been safe.
Bnt they had weapons which the devil had
given them. and their deadly bullets soon
cut him down, and now probably his
noble antlers decorate the hall of his mur-
derer.