The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-01-14
Eighty-Seven-year-old Guide
Establishes a New
Mark.
EIGHTEEN DAYS
ON THE TRAIL
For First Few Days the Animals
Remain Miles Ahead of
Hunter.

BANGOR Ne, Jan 1.-THE longest
moose hunt On record in Maine is
credited 10 William Douglass. Of EUs-
It's, who now, at the axe Of eighty
seven, still pursues the calling Of
guide for hunters, and kills his fun
share Of game every season. Douglass
vas born IN he woods Of Maine ana
has never been out OF the shade Of the
pines for longer than a few days at a,
time All he knows he has learned in
the woods. and he is as much at home
IN the depths OF the wilderness as any
bear or wildcat he can tramp for
DAYS without firing. and. although he
Y has never used compass. ne cannot re-
member the tine when he was lost or in
The least doubt which was the shortest
way home
The long moose hunt upon which rests
much Of the fame OF old Bill Doug
lass lasted eighteen days. but it yielded
q prize that paid him well for all his
work and exposure and for the danger
re encountered at the last, when the
bull charged upon him and fell before
the last shot in his rife. The season
had been a poOr one. with few large
moose. and as money was scarce and
fine moose heads worth, mounted, from
500 to $500, Bill thought It worth mis-
while 10 20 out looking for the biggest
bull in the woods.
Determined to Get Him.
II was a cold. snowy morning when
''BilT' started to tramp down his moose
"A difficult undertaking for any man
but he was used 20 cold, hunger and
hardship. and made I'D his mind that
II anything worth 500 was wandering
around in the woods he wanted IL.
Completely equipped and with prOvis-
ions for ten or twelve days. he started
to find moose tracks and soon cane
upon Just what he was looking for-tne
tracks of 2 large bull. So familiar is
he with moose and their ways that he
car tell from the size and shape Of the
tracks and from other indications
nearly the weight and height OF the
animal and also its sex This time he
noticed thai the. moose had passed be
tween two trees that stood so closely
together that the animals side came
IN contact with the rough bark leaving
tufts Of hair adherinE 10 both trees a
little further along ne saw where the
moose had thrown its head into the
air, leaving the mark OF an autler upon
a saplinE From all this he figured out
that the animal was a bull of great
size-not less than DO pounds weight
and with antIers spreading fully sixty
inches
Miles Away.
When followed by a hunter a moose
for the first few days viii keep miles
away; after that tagging along. Just out
OF hearing distance Finally. when
nearly tired out and enraEed at pursuit
the animal viii turn and make a furious
fight II not dropped by a good shot For
twelve days Douglass hung on the trail
Of the monster moose, and fo- twelve
cold nights he slept In the woods The
morning OF the thirteenth day found
him out of food and suffering from
rheumatism, but he had no idea Of
quitting. He shot a buck deer that
gave him four days food, and kept on
after the big game On the seventeenth
DAY he caught sight Of the moose sew
'eral times, and saw that ne was pretty
well tired On the eighteenth day he
noticed blood on the trail. indicating
that the game could not hold out long
Between Him and Death
At D. m that day the hunter heard
a loud believing. and the next instant
saw the moose charging down upon him
Ike a runaway locomotive Up went
Bills rife and seven shots were sent
81 rapid succession at the bull, but none
Of them seemed TO have much effect In
three mOTs jumps the bun would be
upon him. and there stood ''Biu," his
back against a tree. with only one
cartridge left IN the magazine
At such a critical time as this A less
courageous or less experienced hunter
would have become ratified and that
would have been fatal for a mad bull
moose IS more dangerous than any bear
or other animal in the Maine woods
just as the great antlerS seemed swing
ing over his head Bit took steady
aim and sent his last shot at the moose
IL missed the head. --la-n he had in
tended II to so. but served Just as well,
for It plOwed the entire length OF the
backbone, cutting the hide open as
eleanly as II II had been done with a
knife. and the bull dropped in his tracks
directly at the hunters feet.