The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-03-29

A sight In "a Maine Pond the Like OF Which
No One May See Again.


II wa. trout fishing early one summer up in
Somerset county. Me" said a New York sports
man. MY camp was on the shore OF one ot tho
many small lakes that abound in that part of
the state. One evening, just at sunset, my guide
came in. all a-quiver with excitement.
"if you want to see something that neither
you nor any other man will ever be likely to see
again. said he. just sneak down TO tho pond
with me-
81 crept stealthily in his wake down through
the thick timber to the edge OF the lake. IL
was still light enough at the upper end OF the
lake, where we were camped. and which was
not in the shadow OF the hills, for us to SEQ
plainly II quarter OF a mile along the margin OF
the water. The guide cautiously parted the
derse growth of young birches that fringed the
edge OF the lake on that side.
look yonder.' he whispered.
~ looked and my heart almost jumped out
OF my mouth. The sight was almost past be-
lieving. All along the upper shore of the lake,
standing belly deep among the lily pods. In va
rious attitudes Of grace and statrline.s. tho
water was alive with caribou. Magniiceutly
antlered bulls stamped and snorted and tossed
their kingiy heads among meek-faced cows.
while in and out among them sporled a drove
bulls and cows. and almost every cow had a pro-
prietary. interest in, AT, least one calf: We
bou in silence .he sight being too much for
speech-until tho shadows OF evening. began
drawing deeply ABOUT tnetn, ana we C0ulu nave
seen them only dimly a few minutes later. Then
my guide whispered:
"'WCll pull on EN- inst once. anyhow, and
see how many we can drop
Selecting each of us a big bull. we fired. A
terrified chorus of snorts followed the discharge
of the guns. here was II sound OF water In
great commotion for n moment. and the next
instant the woods were filed with the crashing
of the flying herd through the thick brush: My
guide and sent the contents Of our second bar
fused and thickly punched mass from the
water. In less time than it takes to tell all was
as quiet a. II nothing had occurred 10 disturb
the solitude of the great Wilderness. In the
water. their huge hunks showing above the
broad mat OF lily pads. lay the dead bodies of
the two old bulls we hao selected rs our first
targets. On the edge of the lake. one with his
head in the water and his tanks stretched on
the shore. and the other with his antlcrs lifted
high on land. his hind parts buried among the
chance shots that followed the herd In its flight.
-" We seer Il good many caribou in my time
said the guide who was Nat Moore. at that
time Names greatest caribou hunter , but tho
me or any one else ever getting In among suCh'a
congregation OF 'em as that was
1.-TWO or three seasons after thRt thirty CARL
bon came intothat same lake while MT was
there. He shot one. and expected to see the rest OF
the herd dash instantly away intU the woods. To
the old guides surprise. instead OF the rest scam
pcrlng away they seemed to be panic STRICKEN.
and huddlrd together in the pond, snorting and
splashinE the water about. IL wasn't until Nat
had shot and killed seven of the drove that tho
themselves without any more ado out of tho
reach OF his deadly aim. This WAS twenty
years ago. have been on those Maine waters
every year. almost. since then, and have never
and two OF these ! saw last year, killing one. .
big bull