The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1906-03-16

hoped. for the water was bitterly cold
| and he was rapidly growing numb.
After a time there was silence. Lis
| tening breathlessly. he could not hear
| the slightest sound. He waited for
! fully fifteen minutes ! IRE. however.
| TO make sure. and then ventured to
! thrust ont his head and shoulders. II
! was too daIa 10 see anything. but
after listening again. he proceeded 10
crawl through the opening.
He was half-out when something
came rushing through the water. The
| cunning animal lad waited silently
| for his reappeafanc+, and a blow. for.
tunateIy half-Geadcned by the water
! reached his arm. He sIuirmed bach
| into his shelter again q'.ickly enough
to escape frrther injury. 4 hoof-strokt
that made the whole lodge tremblt
came ,.ashing upon the roof. ! rain
Of blows followed that seemed as il
they must knock the whole structure
to pieces. bat the tough walls held
nobly. Finally, at particularly heavy
bio, a sharp hoof burst "a. followed
by the whole fore leg.
Ellis lodged, knockin.; his h ,aG vic.
lently against the sharp sticks in the
wall. Directly over him the bull
roared frightfuly. Ellis could hear
the Sng leg scraping about close TO
him; then he realized that the bull
was no logger trying to reach him. II
was mercy trying TO withdraw its leg
and was not succeeding. The leg was
firmly wedged iato the hole, almost to
the shoulder.
At this reassuring discovery Ellis re.
covered from his panic. He might
in fact, have easily Killed the animal
by piercing the imprisoned leg with his
knife, but he respected the truce of the
park. The bull was now plungina
about in the widest terror, and seemed
likely to break It's leg if he failed 10
cXtricate it; but Ellis was not dis.
posed to assist him to escape
AS soon as he was quite convinced
that the animal was hard and fast.
he stopped again, carefully avoiding
the kicking LEG, and once more wrlg.
glcd out of the hole. leaving several
strips of clothing on the projecting
sticks about the entrance. The ali
seemed indescribab!y fresh as lie
emerged, and after the pitchy dark.
ness Of the beavers Gen ii seemed nj.
most light upon the pond. He could
make out the vast black bulk Of the
bull standing over the lodge. and il
beloved terrifyingly and envelOped il
self in spray at the photographer ap'
pcarancc. But Ellis did not stop tC
make observations. He was afraid the
bull might break loose, and he did not
even look for his escape or camera.
He wadcd ashore, and started, drip
ping, toward camp, which was three or
four miles distant
The next morning. however. he re
turned with his guide and n smaller
snap shot camera which he had at
camp. The moose was still there, !
standing with its fore LEG buried in
the bcayer-houSc. But its spirit was
gone. II stood with dropping head |
exhausted and utterly cowed. As the
men approached, it eyed them apathet
ically. while Ellis took several photo.
harmless that guide waded in and
chopped ii free with an aX. During
this operation il only shifted wcarily,
ana when released it splashed slowly
toward shore and disappeared among
the aiderS with detected air. Its
leg was cakcd with dark blood. where
it had worn off about foot Of the
hide in its struggles TO escape.
OF the other moose engaged in The
nights duel there was no trace be.
youd maze of tracks and wiSpS of
bloody hair on the torn-up earth. Tn.
doubleday il had gladly taken advant'
age Of the diversion caused by Ellis to
beat retreat. The canoe. with Il
great hole in the bottom. had drifted
down against the dam and the camera
with it-uot very much injured. Ei-
lis chief regret was for the plate
which it had contained. bearing the
photograph of that duel in the dark
Youths Companion.