Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1902-02-05
HUNTING YARNS.
stories Of the Woods Related by Fee
rocious Narrators.


W hen every man who ever fired q gun is
ont after big and little game.
The best luck story OF last season came
from Norcross, and WIS told by E. H. Q.
Becker, of Worcester. Mass, who got two
deer, good sized moose, and what be
considered best Of all, photograph OF
the moose. He was out with guide in q
canoe when they came upon the moose,
feeding on the bank OF stream.
| Becker got his camera ready for shot.
and the guide padded out TO point
whence a good picture could be obtained.
| The instant the shutter of the camera
clicked, the moose started to run, bat the
guide had the rifle ready and handed II
to Becker, who brought the animal down
before 1t had gone twenty yards.
The sblest romance OF the season came
from Liverpool, n. 8. The man who tells
Il says that he was hunting in the
mountains when he saw a large bull
moose grazing on patch of moss, a
hundred yards swsy. He up gun and
| fred, but when the smoke had cleared
away, there stood the moose grazing as
before.
Again he fired, and again be was
chagrined to see that the moose didn't
seem to mind II. A third shot and the
moose disappeared. Much excited, the
hunter ran to the moss patch, and there
on the further slope, lay three dead
| moose.
This would be a risky story to tell in
Maine, where only one moose is allowed
to hunter In a season, but 1t is safe In
Nova Scotia and finds believers there.
Another bull moose Is reported to have
been paying attentions to mooley COW,
with the object, as suspected, OF enticing
her from peaceful pastures and a warm
barn to the wild, free life of the forests.
This was done by big bull moose not
long ago. He broke down the fence of
| DIR. Senden's cottage at Lake onswa and
eioped 10 the woods with the doctors
COW.
| In another case Nine. Cow spurned the
attentions OF the forest monarch, and Sir
Moose fed to the wsids, discounted at his
failure in love- making. The scene OF the
romance is in orneviIle, Piscstaquis
| county.
few days ago big bull moose came
| into the pasture where Henry Csrr's COW
was munching the frost-nipped grass.
He was disposed TO be friendly, but the
COW Immediately became greatly alarmed,
and, with raised tail and bullying eyes, fed
to the barn-yard ct Cresceus speed. The
people In the house saw that something
had happened, and came out into the
yard, whereupon the moose, seeing what
an excitement he had raised, trotted of
leisurely to the woods.
The following story comes from Aroos-
took county, and is vonched for by no less
veracious gentleman than ]. Stanley
Estes, the well-known stenographer, for
many years associated with Hon. w. p.
whitehouse, one of Names ablest su-
preme court justices.
"a story is current in Aroostook," said
Mr.. Estes, "thst will bear repetition.
They tell tale up there OF a hunter who
went into the woods after big game. II
was in the days when panthers, or Indian
devils, were quite plenty in northern
Maine.
"one day the hunter had gone away by
himself, and when night overlook him be
concluded to camp where be was till
morning. He found a good place near
the banks of small stream. He built a
fire. cooked his supper and sat down to
smoke his pipe. Ii was then quite dark.
| There was no moon and The few stars In
the heavens made little impression upon
the gloom that enseioped him. II was a
lonely place, but he was used to the woods,
and for a long time was Ia a pescefui and
almost happy frame OF mind.
'AIi of q sudden he had feeling OF i'm
pending danger Gene over him. On the
other side OF the stream from where he
was sitting the bank rose to great heigh hit.
About half way up he mass OF rock was
a stump OF a tree with forked crotch, as
be discovered the next day. When the
scent of trouble came TO him, be looked up
at the towering mass OF rock before him.
He saw sight that nearly froze his blood
in his veins. and he quickly reached for
his rife and prepared for action. Two
glsriDg eyes bIszed at him from the hill
side. He knew it was q panther that was
looking down at him. He was dead shot
with the rifle, but, for all that, be didn't
| relish senfffs with an Indian devil. So
be took deliberate aim and fired. He
waited Till the smoke cleared away aud
then peered into the darkness to see II be
had dislodged the vicious animal.
"Agsin he saw the blazing eyest Once
more his rifle rang out and the sound
echoed over the hills. He thought that
this time he had succeeded In hitting the
beast. But he was disappointed. The
glowing eyehslis were still rooted In
that one spot on the bleak hillside.
'Seven times he shot at those eyes of
fire before they disappeared from sight.
No sleep was his tnst night. He piled
wood upon the tire and trsmped around
1t till morning broke. Then he climbed
the hill and found the dead bodies OF
seven psnthers piled in heap beneath
I the stumu OF a tree resting ON a heef lima,