The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-02-14
WOLVES AGAINST MOOSE.
The Moose Had the Advantage In the Fight
After the saowcru-t soitcned.

u SuOWcFurt Fofttutu.
GRgENvILLE. Me-, Feb. l3.-"It isn't often
that wolves get after moose in their yards"
said Jason Ellis. a hunter. last week. When
they do tackle the big fellows ON their own
ground you may be sure they've gone through
all the deer yards they know of aud have got
good and hungry besides. This time they're
likely TO attack = moose IS In the early spring
when the snowcrust is hard enough TO bear
them UP, while OF course the heavier animal
breaks through IL and they can run ali around
him. At that season, II they come on a moose
away from the yard or can manage to worry
him into quitting II, they're very sp; to get him.
But once 1t was my luck to See n chase Of
this kind when the wolves got the worst OF 1t.
l was In the timber swamp near the foot OF Mt.
katahdin exploring for q lumber concern that
was intending to send n crew up there the next
season. 1t was the last OF March. with four feet
Of snow in the woods on q level. and a crust on
It that would hold me 10 night and morning
without snow shoes, though, OF course. ! didn't
leave camp without them. There had been a
cold snap. but IL couldn't last long AT this time
OF the year. and on the morning I'm speak
ing, OF the sun was shining warm.
thaw was coming. As | worked along through
the pine woods. stopping here and there To mark
noon. 10 the fresh tracks where a moose had
been .wsllowinG along through the snow. lie
bad had q long run and a hard time OF II. FOR
he had left blood In the snow at every step as
he broke through the crust. II was easy to see
why he Was on tho run, for on the crust, which
the sun had begun to soften, were the scratch
Ing footprints of two wolves. The moose was
heading toward one The big boys that stretch
pastures we call them there.
II wanted to follow tho trucks up and sec
what was going to be the end of the hunting.
but, with the thaw coming on, threatening To
spoil tho snowsnoeing when IL set In. l didn't
feel that could spare the time 10 turn aside.
hours aitsrward l fetched n compass. as the
Scriptures say. that brought me To the edge of
tho hog. You understand. these boys are not
SOFT anu miry, hut are wide. level, moist places
grown over with caribou moss. with no timber on
them excepta few stunted trees. A man standing
Al the edge can look across one OF them rs well
as he can look across n lake. A half n mile out
on the bog | sAw the moose wailowing along.
OF snow. with the two wolves not thir'y PAGES
behind him. 1t wasn't all fun for the wolves
now. for the sun had softeneh up the snowcrust
on tho bog the crust WAS naturally weaker
there than In the upland because OF tho bushes
and the moisture beneath and while the moose
they were breaking through at every step.
of course they could have caught MP with
their game was TO tire him down nrst. but the
smell or blood when lie had cut himself In tho
crust haa made them too savage To wait, and.
perhaps, being afraid he would ret away from
them, they began to close in On the moose. lie
didn't wait for them 10 get To hilu when no
found what they intended to do. but wheeled
around as sharply M II all his four feet had
been one pivot, and made u rush for the nearest
wolf. The wolf was quick enough to Iump To
one aldo once and clear the thrust Of the horns,
lie went through the crust where he landed.
and then the moose had him. After tho first
two seconds there seemed To he only one in the
night, hitting, thrustlng, stampiag something
below the crust, while the iine snow Was tossed
IN around hs antlers like u cloud.
The other wolf lad run away when the
moose turned anu charged. but he was foolish
enough To stop and lie down on the snow To-
watch the fight. At labt the moose looked up
and caught sight OF him. lilo didn't waste any
more tins with the first wolf, but went for Ihs
other. Tho wolf turned To run, but the crust
Kept breaking under him, while tho moose went
through II Ike u snow plough. lie caught up
WIN the wolf IN lao yards running. and male a,
quick work with him ~ le did with tho other.
There was no night; the wolf couldn't dodrpnway
In the deep snow, and tho moose simply slammed
him TO death, aud then kept on stamping, Alter
no had cot through with this ono he turned
round toward whore the other was lying "A, IL
he had half "a nina to 80 back and give linn
some more. although there was no need of n.
Then he stood w and lifted his head with the
branching Rntlers he looked noble. | can tai
you-and beloved 50 that | could hear him
across tho hog as plainly where | was as 4; he
had been only ten yards away. Alter that La
LAY, down In the snow TO rest ~ after his efforts,
ana went on aDout my business.
Next morning | took my gun along and went
out IN the bog on my snowshuos aud uut the
Won SKINS The wolves were two hard In,kinu
subjects, lead IA Julius CAESAR, win hulf The
gone back into the woods tho way ha rnu.u. III,
Mas safe anywhere Rs far as was concerned,
] wouldn't have shot him II he had come up aud
orered himself Ms n mark