The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1905-09-07

dAsh powder for outdoor ~vFts aho ~ w
monsptsr,, vivid whl,c glare he saw th
dsrs rore,i. the dark water. aud giAn
black A. lBal stsbd.ng with head tuine'
suspseicnsly losNd him above sonethiri
1 that was hidden ir smother 81 fptay.
Back d4,sucss followed, and with J
came sn sppslling below from The ball
ara Ellis beard the soupd Of aplutge to
wsd hlm, TIE trute had slg gaied bis nev
en-. nav Ia ,hs nlsh, and the killing f,se
was upon him.
Eli. caught up the paddle, spun th'
canoe round, aad shot away h'indly 10 th'
inly darkness de could hear the bull sp
parrn,ly shout dcEtn Yards behind, com
ipg with great bounds through the wster
/ but IN q few strokes the canoe eollideS
With something solid. Ellis Lost bis bal
q, CT, pitched forxsrd, and went belplessl,
overheard and uoder water.
As bis head bobbed up, he heard th'
smssh of the moore putting fofefoo
through the canoe. He diyed, trying Il
swim under wster.snd ran agsiast the lax
ged surface Of ose Of the beayer-houses
which was, 10 fact, the oi stscle upon which
be I'D been wrecked. The bull charged
him with rush, ard n sharp hoof graz {
hls lcg. 10 the muddy bottom OF the pont
be blurdered toto whst teemed sort q
trench. II led TO the beaver lodge, aud al
he brushed eesinst the bristling surface o
knots and sticks, he felt an opening neal
the bottom II was the hole that had beer
cut to enlarge the entrance OF the raldet
lodge, and with choking desire to TAXI
refuge anywh, re, he thrust himself In
side.
His head burst through light flooring
foot above the water AS be raised it. 1t wal
pitch-dsrk. Lifting his hand, he felt .ih'
rough oof close above him. The wstel
came nearly TO his srmpits as he fqustted
and it was very cold. The air Was dsmI
ard surcharged with animal odor'.
He could hesr the moose splsshing shout
outside, probably puzzled at ts victims
disappearance. Occasionally there WAS
sharp blow upon the roof OF the lodge, bu'
1t was thick and solid, built Of mud srd In
ter woven branches.
As his fright passed d little, Ellis fell
above the Interior of his refuge with muct
curiosity. The wall were rough and splin
tery, and great numbtr OF email sticks
were Il ,ating about. Above the light floor
ing that he had broken through appeared
to have been the main living room OF The
family, for there WAS n quantity OF dry
grass arranged as II for a nest. As nearly
as he d ildse, the place was about foul
feet IN dlSmater
He felt sure that the moose did not know
where he WAS. for the snimsl was wadinR
about from one lodge to another, snifiinP
loudly at each. Presently he might return
to finish his former sntagonist, Ellis
thought and hoped, for the water WAS bit
terly cold and he was rapidly growing
cold.
Aster a time there was siercs. Listening
breathlessly, he could not hear the slight
est sound. He waited for fully fifteen min
utes more, however, to make sure, and then
yentured to thrust out his head and should
ers. IL was too dark TO zee anything, bu'
after listening again, he proceeded to crawl
through the opening. 3lt
He WAS half-out when something came
rushing through the water. The cunning
animal had waited silently for his reappear.
ance, and blow, fortunately half.deaden.
ed by the water, reached his arm. He
tquirmed back into his shelter again quick
ly enough to escape further injury. A
hoof.stroke that made the whole trembe
came crashing upon the roof. A rain OF
blows followed that seemed as II they must
knock the whole structure to pieces. but
the tough walls held nobly. Finally, at a
particularly heavy blow, a short hoof burst
In, followed by .he whole fore leg.
Ellis dodged, knocking his head violently
against the sharp sticks In the wall. Dir
ectly over him the bull raared frightfully
Ellis could hear the loI leg tcrspifg about
close to him {; then he realized that TIC bull
was no lorger trying 70 reach him. II was
merely trying to withdraw its leg, and was
lot succ. eding The was firmly wtda
ed iuto the hole, almost to the shoulder.
At this reassuring discovery Ellis n GOV.
err, from his pabic He misbl, 10 fact,
have easily killed the snimal by piercing
the impi isonsd leg With his knife, hnt be
res pected the truce Of the park. The bull
WAS now plut ging about in he widest ter
ror, and seemed likely to break its leg II be
failed to exuicate It; but Ellis was not dis
poatd to assist him to escape.
Az soon as be WAS quite convinced tbs,
the a.imsl WAS hard and fast, be stopped
again, carefully avoiding the kicking leg,
and once more wriagled out OF the hole,
leaving several striIs Of clothiIg on the
projecting sticks about the entrance. The
air seemed indescribsbly fresh az he emerg
ed, and sitter the pitchy darkness OF the
beavers den 1t seem.d almost light upon
the pond. He C uld make out the vast
black bulk Of the bull standing over the
lodge. and II belloSed terrifyingly and en-
velop.d Itself in spray 1T the photograph
er's appearance. But Ellis did not stop to
make observations. He was afraid the bull
might break loose, and he did not even look
Tor hi. canoe or camera. he waded sshore,
snd s'art,d dripping, toward camp, which
sas three or four miles distant
The next morning, hosever. be returred
vi h his guida ard and smaller snsp-sha,
camera which he had At camp. The moose
vs.. Sin ther, Standing With is fore lea
burl.d l.. the yer-hous'. But its spirit
wss gone. IL stood with drooping head,
exhausted and utterly co sed A the men
spproscb q, it eyed them alphabetically.
xhile Ellis louk several photogrsp OF III