The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-02-23
SNOWBAullNG A MOOSE.
An Odd Hours Sport in the Snow-clad For
ests Of New brunswick.

cStS VI Now bIuuSWiCk.
A party of government surveyors in
the province of New Brunswick had a
curious hours fun not long ago at the
expense of bull moose. They were
on their way into the northeastern
forest for their winters work upon the
crown lands. A deep snow had fallen
and the men were plodding along on
snowshoes in single file. The line Of
surveyors, chainmen. axmen and car
riers stretched out over a distance Of
an eighth of mile in the treeless gully
through which their course lay. Sud-
denly those in the lead discovered
the fresh tracks of moose head
ing in the same direction as the party.
They showed that the animal was hav-
ing hard time of it. Laundering belly
deep in the soft snow. and was evil
IDENTIFY fleeing in alarm at the noise of
the advancing column. Several times
the tracks deviated from the path of
the party, disappearing in the thick
underbrush OF the wooded hills at
either side. But they always returned
to the less INSTRUCTED ground in tho
gully.
Word was passed back along the
line that there was a moose ahead, and
the pace was quickened. There was
no particular object in overtaking the
moose, as every man in the party had
as heavy load strapped to his back as
he cared to carry, and fresh meat was
plenty. Besides, the chief engineer
thraunho,f Tho
a stickler for the game laws. But the
moose was going their way, and there
was a dash of the excitement Of the
chase in the effort to get a glimpse Of
him.
They kept up the rapid pace for over
an hour, every minute showing that
the moose was struggling on with in
creasing difficulty. At intervals the
trail indicated that he had fallen from
exhaustion. and had lain for a moment
to rest in the snow. These snow casts
! of his big body became more frequent,
and it became evident at last that their
quarry was almost spent, and that I'M
less he sought shelter in the hills they
must soon overtake him. A moment
umn told that the moose was in sight.
The stragglers came up quickly, and
there, a bout five rods TO one side of the
snowshoe trail, was the moose, a SPLEEN
did bull, three or four years old. He
was i'm bedded in the snow almost up
to the back. and was putting like
steam engine, completely exhausted.
b.% h.I fafr he
moose, the men, under the watchful
eye of the chief. looked rather sheep
ish until one of them, idly picking up
a piece of snow, tossed il at the ami
NAL Then everyone seemed taken
with the novelty of snow WHALING a
moose. and perfect fusillade of missiles
was directed at the terrified beast He
was too tired to make further attempt
to escape, bat rolling his great eyes.
he stretched out his head on the snow,
the steaming breath from his postrils
blowing the fakes aside in small
clouds. The white balls flew in show
ers about his broad branched horns and
whistled past his ears, but the only
sign of the terror he felt at the us
usual attack was the rapid. spasmodic
twitching of his short tail. movement
that was strangely discordant with the
dignity of the monarch of the Acadisr
forests
After FIVE minutes fusillade the
men tired Of the fun and resumed their
weary tramp. leaving the moose 70 re-
cover from mis- exhaustion and fright,
and to wonder whs: manner of crea-
lures they we're who, after chasing hin
for miles, had contented thernsel.es
with pelting him with harmless balls
Of SHOWN. !. sun