The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1903-12-18
I'll DIdck - ILL |
4n Adventure. r
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sAvEn-EY LAST C.RyRIQGE.

Q ~ o 10 william Douglass. Of
y - + Eustis. who now. AZ the
HCE age ~ eighiy'six. still pur-
sues the calling Of . guide for hunters
and kills his full share Of game every
, season. Douglass was born in tf9
, woods Of Maine, and has never been
out Of the shade of the pines for long
or than a few days AZ a time. All he
! knows he has learned in the woods.
and he is as much at home in the
depths OF the wilderness as any bear
or wildcat. lie can tramp for days
without tiring. and, although he has
never used compass, be cannot re-.
member the time when be was lost, or
was IN the least doubt which was the
shortest way home
The long moose hunt upon which
rests much Of the fame Of old Bill
Douglass lasted eighteen days, but il
Yielded prize that paid him well for
his work and exposure. and for the
danger he encountered OF the last.
when the infuriated bull charged upon
INN and fell before the last shot in
his rifle. The season had been a poor
one. with few large moose and as
money was scarce and fine moose
heads are worth. mounted, from 500
10 $500, Bill thought it worth his while
10 go out looking for the biggest bull
in the woods
IT was cold. snowy morning when
Bill started 10 tramp down his moose
"A difficult undertaking for any man,
but he was used 10 cold. hunger and
hardship, and made up his mind that
If anything worth $500 was wandering
around in the woods he would soon
have It, Completely equipped, and
with provisions for ten or twelve days,
he started 20 find moose tracks and
sOon came upon just what he wanted
the tracks OF large bull He no
t4ced that the moose had passed be
tween two trees that stood so closely
together that the animals hide came in
contact with the rough bark, leaving
tufts OF hair adhcring 10 both trees. \
little further along he saw where the
moose had thrown its head into the air.
leaving the mark OF an antler upon a
sapling From all this he figured out
that the animal was a bull Of great
size-not less than 1900 pounds weight
and with antlers spreading upward OF
sixty inches
When followed by a hunter q moose
for the first few days will keep miles
away; after that tagging &lons. just
out OF hearing distance. Finally. when
nearly tired out and enraged at pur-
suit, the animal will turn and make
furious fight If not dropped by n good
shot For twelve days Bill Douglass
hung on the trail Of a monster moose.
and for twelve cold nights he had slept
in the woods The morning Of the thlr-
tccnth day found him out Of food and
suffering from rheumatism, but he had
no idea of quitting lie shot buck
deer that gave him four days food, and
kept on after the big game.
ON the seventeenth day he caught
sight Of the moose several times, and
saw that he was pretty we'll tired. On
the eighteenth day he noticed blood on
the trail. indicating that the game
could not hold out long At p, M.
that day the hunter heard n loud bel.
lowing. and the next instant saw the
moose charging down upon him like
n runaway locomotive. Up went Bits
rife. ard seven shots were sent in rapid
succession at the bull, but none of
them seemed to have much effect. In
three more jumps the bull would he
upon him. and there stood Bill, his
back against tree, with only one
cartridge left in the magazine.
At such critical time as this 4 less
courageous or less experienced hunt
or would have become ratified, and that
would have been fatal, for n mad bull
moose is more dangerous than any bear
or other animal in the Maine woods.
Just as the great antlcrs seemed swing
ing over his head Bill took steady aim
aud sent his last shot at the moose.
IL missed the head, where he had In.
tended ii to so. but served just as well.
for il plowed the entire length Of the
backbone, cutting the hide open as
clcauly as il it had been done with a
knife. and the bull dropped In his
tracks directly Mt the hunters feet. II
was monster, weighing 1920 pounds,
and said 10 be. next to the one shot
mt King Bartlett Lake. the largest
moose ever killed i'm Maine.
That night Bill Douglass would have
frozen to death had il not been for the
moose hide. He rolled himself in all
his blankets. and then wrapped himself
up in the warm hide SO that he slept
rs warm as hug in rug. When
morning came. however. he was in a
tight fix. He had dreamed all night
that some one was trying tO squeeze
him 10 death. and when he awoSe he
found that there was something in
the dream. The moose hide had frozen
Stifr and hard as iron. and il was some
time before he could get at his knife.
with which. after much hard work. he
cut his way out Making sled OF
saplings Bill hauled his prize home;
and it was a $500 prize too.-Philadel-
phia Record