The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-07-24
A TALE OF A MOOSE HUNT,

Chased Dy u MOnSteT IdHlhSi WHiSh Had Almost Worn Him Out Before Bear Rescued Him--How He Got the Moose and Saved tho Bear.
 pr, Barber of New Jersey is a thor ough sportsman, and hia many feats | with rod and gun have earned for him remarkable reputation, Every fall | the doctor spends a few weeks in the | wilds of Maine, and he always returns | with varied assortment of trophies of | the hunt. His home Is filled with me- mentoes of fifteen seasons experiences | in the Maine woods, and each article | has history that impresses one with the belief that the doctors reputation as sportsman is not overestimated. It has been a difficult matter of late years to extract from pr. Barber any Y one of the many interesting stories that he, can relate. Some years ago an un- thinking friend took occasion to dis pute the truth of one of the doctors narratives, and 1t was not until a few days ago that the doctor permitted himself to relate another of his experi- ences. He was entertaining party of four New York friends, and the conver- sation had touched on nearly every subject of current interest, when one of the visitors happened to remark that the doctor appeared to have lost flesh since last summer and that his hair was a trihe grayer than the ordinary events of year would seem to account for. The doctor did not reply for some moments, and he seemed to be engaged in a mental struggle. Finally he said: 'Six years ago a supposed friend of trlIt a that I told him, and I made up my mind to shut down on everybody after that, but the circumstances which &C., count for my present physical condition are of such an unusual character that will tell you how came to lose thirty pounds of good flesh in less than threc hours as well as having my hair turned several shades whiter.
 Last October was staying with my guide at Blakesly camp in the Spencer valley but the hunting was poor so l told the guide one morning that l would go over to Baker Pond and stay over night in hope of securing a large bull moose that was said to be located in the woods north of the pond, My guide was to come the following day and help me bring the moose to camp if I was fortunate enough to run across it. Having settled the matter satisfac- torily, I took my 45-70 rifle and started on the fourteen-mile tramp to Baker Pond.
 By the time had covered half the distance it had clouded over, and be- tore I reached the old lumber camp on the edge of the pond it had settled into a hard rain which knew would last all night. I reached the camp about four o'clock, wet to the skin. The camp, by the way, was a very curious structure, It was about one hundred and fifty feet long and probably forty feet wide, with hunks built along the entire length on both sides. In each end of the building was window about four feet square and fully ten feet from the ground. After eating a hearty supper and driv- ing my garments I fixed up a bed on one of the hunks, opened the heavy board windows at each end of the camp in order to have plenty of fresh air. and lay down to sleep with determination to besup bright and early to run down that bull moose
 "When awoke the next morning the sun was just coming up, with every in dication of a warm, clear day. As turned to get my clothes l heard a scratching noise at the window in the rear of the camp. Looking up, saw an enormous panther coming through the window I sprang for my gun jus as the panther settled himself for leap at me. As brought the weapon to my shoulder the blood nearly frog in my body, for remembered that 1T cleaning the gun the night before hat taken out all the cartridges, put then in my trousers pocket and put tn trousers under the head of my bunk There I stood in the presence of tha hungry animal with an unloaded gul and nothing on but my pajamas.
 T will not try to relate the thought that flashed through my mind as
 stood face to face with what seemed t be certain death. Not a second was t be lost, for saw the panther preparing to spring. Dropping my gun, I whirle around and ran for the window at tn other end of the camp. Making dive I went through the window head first As I struck the ground the pantha shot by me, striking the ground abou twenty feet beyond. I turned, ra around the side of the camp, with tn panther close after me.
 Then began the most rennarkabl race ever heard of. Round and roun we went running one hundred and fiji ty feet, jumping through window te feet from the ground into the caml through the camp out of the other wir dow and around again. After Nabor an hour and a half of this exercise
 found that could make the jumI through the windows with greater eas and less effort I discovered that m going through the window head first could turn a somersault, striking u ground on my feet but the panther WE right after me every time, and to sho me that he was just as fresh as would turn two somersaults after goir through each window It now settle down to question of endurance.
 After the second hour found that could not hold out much longer on g empty stomach. For half an ho, longer the chase continued, when
 happened to glance back at my pursu and saw that he had stopped in u middle of the camp and was lookir back At the same time heard som thing outside. The next moment one
 the largest bears ever saw looked in the camp through the further windo7 The bear took in the situation at
 glance and Jumping into the camp