The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1908-10-15

eF. Here amer lIttle wandering he
chose Il point where there WAS some
thick young growth. which hid hil
from view when he lay down. though
not when he stood. After some turn
ing he settled himself in his bed just
as a steer would
He could not have chosen n spot be-
ter suited for US. lie WIS nearly nj
the edge of the morasS. the open space
between the spruce clump where Lr
was lying and the rocky foot-hilIS he
ing comparatively dry ard not mu II
over Il couple of hundred yards broad;
while some sixty yards from it. and
between il and the hills. was a Iit.le
hummock, tuftcd with frs. SO as to
afford us Just the cover we needed
Keeping back from the edge of the
moraSs We We're able to walk upright
through the forest. until we got the
point where he was lying in a line
with this little hummock. We then
dropped on our hands and knees. and
crcpt over the soft. wet sward. where
there was nothing to make noise
At last we reached the hummock. and
| got into position for a shot. taking a
final look at my faithful 1870 Win
chester to see That all was in order
Pecring cautiously through the shield
ing eyergreenS. at first could not
make out whore the moose was lying
until my eye was caught by the motion
of his big ears as he occasionally flap
ped them laZily forward. Even then
could not see his outline: but knew
whore he was. and having pushed my
! rifle forward on the moss. | snapped
dry twig to make him rise. My veins
were thrilling and my heart beating
with that eager. fierce excitement
known only to the hunter of big game
and forming one of the keenest and
strongest of the many pleasures which
with him go to make up the wild JOY
of living"
As the sound of the swapping twig
Smote his ears the moose rose nimbly
to his feet, with a lghtness on which
one would not have reckoned in beast
so heavy of body. He stood broadside
to me for moment. his ungainly head
slightly turned. while his ears twitched
and his noStrils snuffed the air. Draw
ing fine bead against his black hide
behind his shoulder and two thirds of
his body's depth below his Shaggy
withers, | pressed the trigger. He
neither fiinched nor reeled, but started
with his regular ground-covering trot
through the spruceS: yet | knew he
was mine. for the light blood spraug
from both of his nostrilS. and he fell
dying on his side before he bad gone
thirty rods.
Later in the fall | was again hunting
among the lofty ranges which continue
towards the southeast the chain of the
Bitter Root. between Idaho and Mon
tana. There We're but two of us. and
we were travelling very light. each hay
ing but one packpony and the saddle
animal he beStrode We were high
among the mountains, ANA followed
no regular trail Hence our course was
often one of extreme difficulty Occa
siOnaIly, we took our animals through
the forest near timber line, where the
slopes We're not too steep; again we
threaded our way through a line of
gladeS or skirtcd the foothills. in an
open, park country; and now and then
we had to cross stretches of tangled
mountain forest, making but a few
miles a day, at the cost of incredible
toll, and accomplishing even this solely
by virtue of the wonderful docility and
surefo0tedncsS Of the ponies. and of
my comparisons skill with the axe and
thorough knowledge of woodcraft.
Late one cold afternoon we came out
in Il high alpine valley in which there
was no sign of any mans having ever
been before us. Down its middle ran
I q clear brook. On each side was a
belt of thick spruce forest. covering
the lower TANKS of the mountains.
The trees came down in points and
Isolated clumps to the brook the banks
of which were thus bordered with open
gladeS rendering the travelling easy
and rapid
Soon after starting up this valley we
entered a beaver meadow of conSid-
cradle size. 1t was covered with lush.
/ ld4ih SlhNN. anu Nll'' NlIttilll NOuuu
through ii rather sluggiShly in long
curves. which were frin"ed by thick
growth of dwarfed willows. In one or
two places it broadened into small
ponds bearing a few lily-padS. This
meadow had been all tramped up by
moose Trails led hither and thither
through the grass, the willow twigs
were cropped off. and the muddy
banks of the little black ponds were
indented by hoof-marks. Evidently
most of the lilies had been plucked.
The footprints were unmiStakahle: a
moOSe'S foot is longer and simmer
than caribou'S. while on the other
hand It is much larger than an elk's,
and longer oval in shape.
Most of the sign WAS old. this high
alpine meadow, surrounded by snow
mountains. having clearly been ia
vorite resort for moose in the summer;
but some enormous. fresh tracks told
that one or more old bulls We're still
freqrNQting the place.
The fight was already fading, and,
of course. we did not wish to camp
where we were because we would
then certainly scare the moose. Ac-