The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1892-02-05


mill about rs nearly frozen as ANY two
people you ever saw. forgot 10 tell
you that this was the first week in Oc-
toher. had stayed past the summer
because ] wanted 10 get q taste of =
real Maine winter; just 10 see what II
was like and BY The time reached
that mill ] knew all about IL. There
was apparently no bottom 70 the snow.
fences were out Of sight, and Il was
desperately cold.
We'll. we stayed at the mill until
Felix got everything strengthened up
among the men. u xas the fourth
day, ] think. that The manager said:
Mr.. Andrews, some Of the men have
been saying that there's moose about
ten miles up the river, near the mar
rows. There were several yards up
there last winter. but we hunted them
ont pretty well. II a good grazing
place. though. a,4d they say the moose
are gathering in again You may
imagine what a thrill went over me at
the mere suggestion. The bare idea Of
me, a native Texan. going on y moose
hunt away in Maine. Felix laughed at
me and said that would find It was
not so much fun ut last. but he was as
eager as l. Maine man as he was, he
had never been moose hunting but
twice in his life. We prepared for a
hunt, however, a wagon load OF camp
ing materials being made up BY the
manager and .wo OF three Of the men
who were going with us. Guns and
hunting-knives were put into first
class condition and everything was ar
ranged for a three-days' stay in the
woods kept hearing them talk
about a good hunting dog they were
going 10 take with them. but when
they brought it out on the morning Of
our start ! conldn't keep from laugh
ing. II was a little shaggy mongrel,
about as large Us a rat terrier and the
most undoubted plcbcian Of the dog
kind ! ever saw in my life. For good
ness sake, Felix. ! exclaimed. is that
the best this country can do in the
way Of a hunting dog?' oh. you don't
know it at all. retorted Felix. good
naturcdly. 1t wouldn't take a moose
more than three minutes to tramp one
Of your fine dogs into shocstrings.'
And then ! said no more. especially as
the little dog took a most insane fancy
for me and followed me around like
a shadow. l saw that his tastes were
good. though his pedigree might be a
little off.
we drove easily through. the open
woods. and finally struck camp at a
point about eight miles from the mill.
The men cut down poles and made a
kind Of pen house, open on the south
side and rooted ovcr with poles and
brush, taking as much pains as though
they had come to spend the winter. !
tod them. They built n huge bonfire
opposite the open side Of the hut, and
we spent the night very comfortably.
wrapped in our heavy blankets
THE next morning we started on
orr first hunt, separating into tive
parties, the three mill men ccnstitut.
ing one. while Felix. the manager and
| composed the other. The little dog
went with me. Of course. but even
with his assistance we fond no moose
that morning. We saw the tracks 81
some very large ones. however. and W.
even came upon one of their yards.
on the southern slope Of u hill. where
the snow was all trampled down and
whore the twigs and lariSs Of the trees
showed that they had recently been
browsing. but the yard was empty.
When we returned TO amp however.
we found the other party already
there. and the savory odors arising
from the fire told that they had not re-
turned empty handed. They had. in
truth. killed a yearling calf. and had
brought the choicest norScls of II,
flesh 10 the amp
The next morning we started ont
again. in the same order, and after we
hal ;ramped an hour or two W. reached
the deserted yard. 1t was evident that
several large moose had been there
since xe left. Felix and the manager
decided 70 lie in wait for a little while
on the chance OF their return. while !
begged them to hold that miserable
little nuisance Of a dog and let Inc Sill
oil ard hunt over the ridge and down
the valley for a mile or So. To tell the
truth I was devourcd BY a frantic de
sire 10 meet a Dos and kill him all
by myself. and | didn't think anything
else could satisfy me. l was awfully
conceitcd. bnt il didn't take long u
knock all that ont Of me.
II had gone about half a mile. ]
should think. and was wandering along
trying to look everywhere at once
when all at once ! came face TO face
with the very thing was looking Tor
and l was within fifteen feet Of Il be
fore ! saw IL. The minute saw II
wished | was somewhere else. hadn''
expected TO see such an enormous
brute in the first place. and ] hadn''
expected il to be as ugly as homemade
sin. either. Boys, that animal was
cignt feet high, and you . see fo'
| IN Y