The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1909-12-18

like huge black ghost through the
fallen forest He was getting further
and further away: but. at last. just as
he reached the green timber. at about
one hundred and thirty yards. he
showed clear for moment, when,
holding well forward, | pulled At
the shot he half spn around, then
plunged forward and was lost to view.
You hit him-shure." said the ex-
cited Albert. setting of at a pace |
could not follow
We came to the forest edge and
found plenty of blood and then started
much against my will on the trail of
the wounded one. wanted to wait
half an hour. but Albert felt sure he
was well hit and that we should md
the bull dead at no great distance.
We stumbled over some bad ground
and | could hardly breathe Presently
fell over log from exhaustion, and
Nature told me ever so plainly that
| was in no condition to go moose
hunting. Albert had run ahead when
fell. but presently returned saying
he feared the moose was hit low and
might go for miles before lying down.
so handed him my rifle and told him
TO go and not come back without that
moose.
had never done such a thing be-
fore and hope | never shall again
But there 1t was-l had to acknow
edge partial defeat In about an hour
| made my way back to the Dease
lake trail and, following the tracks OF
the horse, reached camp much ex-
hausted. 1t was nearly midnight when
Albert announced his arrival with a
ringing whoop. A great tongue hang.
ing round his neck spoke plainly OF
success. II was the usual tale Four
times had he jumped the wounded
one, and then, after no fewer than
seven hours continuous tracking, he
had come on the moose lying exhaust.
ed. and killed him.
The following day was spent In re
trieving the head and as much meat
as a horse could carry We worked
far into the night cleaning the head
which was nice, massive one of no
great measurements, and attending to
the scalp The weather was now de.
lightful: just a little frost at night
and warm sun for the greater part OF
the day. II appeared that several
large bull moose We're frequenting the
| Tanzilla valley in the vicinity OF the
river We had not proceeded far on
the 18th when we suddenly came upou
a fresh track. This Albert and | Al
once followed. sending on Jimmy with
the horses and with orders to camp
within three miles If we did not re
turn by midday. The bull led us at
once down the hill to the river and
after few wanderings. it struck
across at shallow ford AS this
would entail wetting to the middle,
| funked it in my state of health, so
we retreated by making a short cut
back to the trail. Here we at once
found the fresh track of the largest
bull moose | had ever seen.
Albert seemed to go slower and
slower. till at last he stopped. and.
stopping down, peered under the
bushes towards little clearing.
looked, too. and saw some dark object
there which caused me to cock nv
rife at once. | took step forward
and at once saw an immense bull
moose lying under small spruce
within thirty yards. His head was
lowered and his almost white antlers
looked like the branches of a rotten
tree. l saw that the latter we're wide
and very broad In the palms and at
once raised my rife to shoot. The
sudden movement attracted his atten.
ton and he lurched heavily to his feet.
whereupon l at once put bullet be-
hind the shoulder. He gave one
plunge forward and was in the act of
falling when a second ball penetrated
his heart.
My moose was beauty. Many
larger have been killed in Cassiar.
and, though not very wide, the horns
were very thick and the palms OF con-
siderable breadth. 1t was such
trophy as l had often longed to DOS
sess, and now having got 1t, / felt
that my journey was not q failure
after all.
J. @. MILLAIs
The more time woman has IN