The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1911-04-15

In secluded spot toward the end OF
the second days march they discover
ed the cache OF poacher They were
much surprised at this. as they had
had no idea that there was any ono in
the Park killing game. The cache con-
sisted OF a canvas tepee, sleeping bag,
provisions and toboggan. and they
found six buffalo heads suspended in a
tree nearby. trace OF fire in the
tepee led the scouts to believe that the
poacher was not far away. To capture
him was the ncXt move. II had been
showing constantly all the morning,
and all the snowshoe tracks leading
from the camp were entirely obliterat-
ed. The scouts sepe"qted and went in
different directions. g
When Ave miles from the camp one
OF them heard a half dozen rife shots
in rapid succession. fastening through
the timber in that direction, he came
upon an opening In the forest and saw
the poacher. He had criven six OF the
buffalo into the deep snow and had
slaughtered the entire band. The scout
was alone and armed only with a re-
volver. Poachers Of this kind are des-
perate men. They know that the arm
OF the Federal Government Is long and
it's grip sure once II scizes them.
Thei efore they fight TO the last, No
desperado Is more reckless Of his life.
The scout knew all this, but did not
hesitate for a moment. II was still
showing hard, and neither the poacher
nor his dog noticed the scouts ap-
proach. The scout was within twenty
feet OF the poacher and had him COW
cred with his revolver before he told
him to throw up his hands. A moment
more. and he was disarmed. Then he
was handcuffed and taken to the
guardhouse at Fort Yellowstone. He
had killed about one-eighth OF all the
buffalo In the Park.
Elks and Bears Very Comfortable In
the "5ig Cold"
There are about 25O buffalo in the
| Park now. TO protect them more ef-
| fectually against poachers about 200
are kept in an inclosure and have be-
come partly domestcated. The re-
mainder run Wild in the country to the
east Of Yellowstone Lake.
Fully 5000 elk winter in the foothills
OF Mount WGshburn, on Specimen
Ridge, along the east fork Of the yell
lowstone and along the main stream OF
that river clear to the base OF Mount
| Evarts. During the winter the elk live
| In yards" places 500 10 1000 feet in
diameter, where they keep the snow
| trodden down. The bull elks patrol
these yards" AT night so as to keep
away the mountain lions and other
animals that prey upon them.
The olAs shed their horns about the
first OF March. and until they grow out
again lead quiet life so that their
sprouting horns will not be injured.
At the time when they shed their horns
they are still herded together. and now
and then a scout viii run across some
secluded spot In the prmevRl wilder
ness where the ground Is covered with
two or three score Of these great an
tiers, some OF them six or seven feet
long. They are allowed 10 remain
where they are. for II is not permitted
10 take them from the Park or even 70
use them for decorative purposes there
But before the end OF the next winter
they disappear. The field mice and
other small rodents eat them.
The bears that are seen around the
hotels IN the summer time, stealing
garbage or hghting the searchligh
when II IL turred on them at night 20
into winter quarters In November oI
December and sleep until spring. There
are hundreds Of them. black brown
and grizzly. They go into caves oi
hollow logs or under the roots OF trees
that the snow will cover. There are
J many natural caves in the Park. Some
times four or fva bears will snuggls