The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1906-06-30
George screamed in alarm "vb.

| eagerly. It's young moose. w,
have a photograph of one don't yot
| Know, that Thompson tooko"
We'll, let's have that calf" crieC
Polly. See it can't be very old. fol
| 1t can hardly wadd,e away"
And Immediately the three. en-
numbered with AK. spade and lunch
turned in pursuit of the calf.
The chase led along the foot q
low. rough ledge and beside {
Swampy rim hedged on one side viii
bog and tamarack. AT the first dash
Polly ran toward the tamarack. thus
getting between the calf and that
cover
The baby moose was rot so help
lessly young, However, as had an
peared at first sight Time and again
Polly, who was the swiftest runner
almost had hand upon the calf
and then by a sudden burst Of spec,
1t shot ahead and out of reach. The
chase grew hotter and more excit-
ing. until suddenly pursued and pur-
SuicS DiOhc lHiouSll Il cluster Oh
bushes and out upon a narrow sand
beach, where light waves were rolling
in.
The sand was deep, and the young
moose, feeling its feet sinking, stop
ped and thrust its nose down be-
tween its fore legs.
In twinkling Polly had thrown
herself upon the calf. which. Justify
believing, bounced up and down and
forward, developing Surprising
strength. With Polly clinging round
it's neck, the animal plunged and
lunged, dragging her into the water
before the other girls. whom she had
Outstripped in the chase, could come
up with her.
Polly, who could swim we'll in bath
ing-dress, had little fear of the wa
ter, and when the calf tumbled her
over a shelving bar and into the
deep water, she felt no alarm. She
chung to the calf, persistently deter.
mined to conquer and bring it to land.
The little moose proved nearly as
strong. although not quite as unman-
ageable, in the water as on the land.
Polly's quickly formed plan to turn
the Calls head about and force It
to land. where George and Anna
could help to secure it, would undoub-
teddy have worked out safely but for
an unforeseen incident.
Polly had turned the moose calf
about and was steering it partly to-
ward the shore when she heard
shout of alright from the girls On
shore.
She looked up, to see her comrades
fleeing abort the beach and huge
creature, which was unquestionably
the mother moose. splashing toward
her in a shower Of spray.
Polly, hanging to the calf. was not
alarmed. even though the big
animal swan with lusty strokes to-
ward her.
"She cannot hurt me in the water
thought Polly. But the powerful
creature came on with the force OF
4 steam-launch, her great brown eyes
fixed upon her struggling calf, and |
wholly lnheeding Polly's black head
0obbing beside it.
When the big moose drove against !
hem, Polly suddenly felt herself |
,orne upward and outward upon the
rest of a wave. and with the be-
lumbing sensation of a hard stroke
lpon her left arm. The COW had
realized that some creature
vas holding her calf, had reared her
elf in the water, and struck blindly
o be rid of the enemy.
Polly went under and came up,
Then, frantically grasp
ng with her free hand, she found
er fingers clinched in the coarse
air Of the big moose's flank, and
here she knew she must cling if
he wished to keep the breath of
lie in her body.
Instead of turning toward shore.
lie cow moose, gathering her calf
'ithin the shelter of her neck and
boulder, pushed straight away for
1e west shore of the lake. 1t was
bout two miles and a half to the
ense pine woods of the Chippewa
The COW, swimming with powerful
rOkeS, did not seem to note the drag
ehind her. Polly, startled now be-
rp,nn ix-n1 hnr Nd |
oked back, to see Anna wringing
er hands and George frantically
on the beach. POlly's
tt hand was yet too benumbed
r use; and had it been otherwise,
le was now too far out to attempt, :
as she was with heavy
.irtS, to swim ashore