The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-11-27

been hit hal d enough TO prevent its swim .
ming, We rowsd across as quickly as muscle
would do it. Russell getting ont to finish
his work tt possible. As no shooting was
heard while we sat IN the boats. we con-
cluded that Russell had failed, and felt
sure of il when We saw him returning q lit
tie later. He said that he had just got u
glimpse of the flying moose across the sec
ond channel of the river, but instead of a
single animal there we're three of them.
As he came back to the boat he thought
he would go to the cottonwood tree and ace
II there was any blood or other signs of
having wounded the animal. To hia utter
astonishment he found a fine two-year-old
moose bull shot through the heart, the very
part at which he aimed. The only reason
able explanation seems to be that thore
were two moose behind the tree when Rus
sell shot.
From 1871 to 1877 l did & great deal of
buffalo hunting on the plaius, and esreo-
tally with cavalry soldiers. One of the
most singular, yet almost constant. incl
dents in those wholesale hunts was the wav
a casual observer would look on each run al
a com parative failure, thinking only one or
two animals had been secured, but drop
by drop the hunters would drop in from
here and there until the list would swell
from a dozen to a score or more.
In December, 1873, in three runs with u
small party of my cavalry company
near old Fort Sedgwiek, Colorado territorr.
we killed sevsnty-one buffalo. and l believe
l do not ~exaggerate when l say that at the
completion of the run did l think We had
more than a haif-dogen, and l have given
some credit to the peculiarly OF buffalo
hunts. too. Every soldier will remember
how often this is true in a fight. | know
shis to be particularly SO in AN Indian ex-
change of courtesies and cold lead.
At one time l had n party of four whites
and eleven Indians in Alaska on the inter
ior foothills of the st. Eiius Alps. The
Indians reported caribou on the other side
of II deep valley, and we loaned them all
the guns of the party to go after them.
From our position the field of action was
as plainly stretched out before us as the
stage of a theater. We saw the native
sportsmen GROSS the swift, glacial stream
fur below us, slowly crawl up the equally
steep and high bank opposite and spread
like skirmishers over the bald knobs. then
eneirclinQ the herd of caribou. pouring a
fire of rifle and ahotgun discharges into the
bewildered band. and then we saw every
hair and hoof of the latter get away IN
scathed, but. all the same, they brought in
the car of three caribou, and for the
huudredth time in my life / felt Sold on
shooting results.
Nearly twenty years ago / was hunting
antelopes on the great western plains with
Lord Dunraven's party. My companion
for that day was DIR. Kingsley. brother of
Canon Kingsley, and at that time private
6lCldN W VIC q I
a little. probably 200 or 800 yards,
in order to beat up more country, when on
a slight ridge ! saw a small herd
Of antelopes a long distance away.
They had either seen the doctor or
for they were On the alert.
/ determined to risk a long shot. Dis
mounting, l handed my horses bride to
man, threw the sights up to 500 yards,
and fred at three pretty we'll punched.
They scattered on the burnt prairie. and /
could make out nothing. But Mcguire
assured me he could see the bullet strike
so 1 mounted. and DR.. Kingsley
joining me, we went on to where the herd
had been, simply because it was on our
course anyway but not expecting to find
anything. We did find an antelope, how
ever, and the most curious part was the
fact that not a sign could be found of
where the bullet had struck the creature,
the four of US gave it a most
search for that purpose. TIL
mystery WAS solved when we got to camp.
bringing me the shredded and
oartilages of the gullet. its throat
been cut by the bullet SO as to show
no appreciable blood.