The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1906-03-21

hope OF ODIulnluS phOtO-
graphs of big game, for he was an
enthusiastic camera hunter. In upper
Muskolla he picked up a guide, ana
they went up the Smoke River in two
canoes. travelling slowly and making
freduent halts, while Ellis hshed or
still.hunted with his camera.
But in that region the game had
been hunted too much to be easily
stalked, and they portrayed over
height Of land TO another system or
streams that carried them into the Al
gonquin National Park.
In this great forest preserve, where
hunting is strictly prohibited, game of
all sorts has multiplied exceedingly,
and here Ellis efforts were more sue
cossful. He obtained several good
suap shots ar deer. but the moose
were too wary for him.
Moose were plentiful enough in that
district. as the great tracks at every
pond-side showed 1t was their sea-
son of love and battle. and the dis
tant believing of the challenging bulls
could be heard almost nightly.
Once Ellis came upon a spot in the
forest where the ground was torn and
trampled, and sprinkled with blood
and wisps of coarse hair. He would
almost have given finger to have
photographed that duel
With his guides assistance, he tried
"jacklighting" on the small lakes, with
a lantern in the bow of his canoe, a
III 4l,n
pared with a fash-light in the stern.
He thus secured several excellent
fiash.light photographs of deer, but no
moose.
He was one afternoon exploring the
windings of small and unusually
tranquil stream when he came out up
on beaver pond. 1t was not the first
he had seen. for beaver are growing
plentiful once more in the park, but
he padded over it with much curios-
ity.
He was at once struck by the fact
that some one had been meddling with
IT, The great rough dam, rick of
mud and brush, had been broken, and
was not yet completely repaired. In
AnC htCpCSl NhlNl SNooNt AlC iOASN'i
four of them. like stacks of mud-plas-
tered brushwood half above the sur
face: and as lie padded alongside one
of them, lie noticed that great hole
had been torn in it, partly under wa
ter, which had not been repaired al
all. The other lodges showed traces OF
injury hut had been made serviceablC
again. Probably the mischief was the
work of an indian trapper, who haC
broken the dam to lower the water
and cut the lodges to get at the beaver
although the fur was of little value
at that season.
The beavers. or what was left OF
them, had'not deserted, however, ant
pieces of gnawed sticks scattered abou
the shore showed that they had beei
working hard to repair the damage
They labor chiefly at night, and 1T oc
Cured TO Ellis that he might ambusl
himself beside the dam till dark, ant
obtain a flash-light picture of beaver
at work.
1t was then nearly sunset, and h
pushed his canoe deep among tn
alders that ,rnged the water and Ia.
DOWN in the stern. The sun went SLOW
ly out of sight, but the -ong northern
twilight still fingered. AS dusk cam
on, one or tyo beavers came out
hiding, showing their black heads be
sides the lodges; but these glimpse
were insufficient. 1t grew cold, an
Ellis ;hivered in the cramped canoe
There was no moon, and the sky wa
cloudy. He could no longer make ou
the beaver-houses or the dam, but sii
nihcant sounds began to aris
-splashes and rlpplings, and once
swimming animal brushed the ster
of the canoe.
Ellis was thinking of setting OIL
nash-light, and trusting to luck
catch something in focus, when, !il
a sudden thunderclap, there burst OF
the deep roar of bull moose fro
the other end of the pond, not tN
hundred yards away. The sound WI
so terrific that Ellis covered. I'll
very leaves of the forest seemed
vibrate at its tremendous volume.
Almost Immediately the challeni
was answered by sonorous below
the same direction, but apparent
nearly mile distant to which Il
challenger responded with roar
rage. Ellis heard the great amin
threshing his antlers against the tire
and smashing up the undcrbrush, Al
he thrilled al the possibility Of dr
actually taking place in his prcsen'
even II he could not see 1t.
For some minutes the distant amin
was silent, while the nearer moo
continued to tear up the sapllni
gnashing his teeth with loud che
ping noise. Then Ellis heard sudd
startled "Whoshv' There was
low cut short and n rafting crash
locking antlers. The distant enel
must have crept up silently, made
circuit to approach his antagon
down wind, and then charged.
In spite of straining his eyes, E
could see nothing but the noise W
enough. Trees and shrubs crasl
apart as the giant animals wrest
and swayed through tho woods W
stertorous snorts and gasps for brea
Vhs huge prongs crashed together /,