The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-04-09

In secluded spot toward the END OF
the second days march they discover
ed the cache OF poacher. They were
1nuch surprised at this, as they had
had no Idea that there was any one hi
the Park killing game. The cache con
sisted or q canvas tepee, sleeping bag,
provisions and toboggan, and they
found six buffalo heads suspended in a
tree nearby. a trace OF fire in tho
tepee led the scouts to believe that tho
poachcr was not far away. To capture
him was the next move. 1t had been
showing constantly all the morning.
and all the snowshoe tracks lending
from the camp wero entirely oblitcrat-
ed. The scouts separated and went in
different directions.
When five miles from the camp ono
or them heard Il half dozen rifle 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 driven 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
II.
Therefore they fight to the last. No
desperate is more reckless OF his life.
The scout knew al this. but did not
hesitate for a moment It was still
showing hard, and neither the poacher
nor his dos noticed the scouts an
proach. The scout was within twenty
1eet 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. TIe
had killed about one-eighth OF all the
buffalo in the Park.
Eiks and Bears Very Comfortable In
the "Bis Cold"
There are about ESQ buffalo In tho
Park now. To protect them more eff
fectualy against poachers about 200
are kept in an Enclosure and have be-
come partly domesticated. The re-
mainder run wild in the country to the
cast OF Yellowstone Lake
Fully 5000 elk winter In the foothills
OF Mount Washburn. on Specimen
Ridge. along the east fork OF the Vel
iowstone and along the main stream OF
that river clear to the base Of Mount
- - 30 Luz iIiS tHs winter the elk ilVo
in yards"--places 500 to 1000 feet in
diameter where they keep the snow
| trodden down The bull elks patrol
these yards" at night SC as to keep
away the mountain lions and other
animals that prey upon them.
The elks shed their horns about the
hrst of March. and until they grow out
again lead quiet life 10 that their
| sprouting horns Will not he Injured.
~ the time when they shed their horns
! they are still herdcd together. and now
and then a scout viii run across some
| secluded spot In the primeval 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 to remain
where they are. for 1t is not permitted
/ to take them from the Park or even TO
use them for decorative purposes there
But before the end OF the next winter
| they disappear The field mice ana
| other small rodents eat. them.
| The bears that are seen around the
| hotels IN the summer time, stealing
| garbage or fighting the starchlight
| when Il is turned on them at night go
| into winter quarters in November or
! December and sleep until spring. There
/ are hundreds Of them, black, brown
and grizzly. They 80 into caves or
! hollow logs or under the roots OF trees
| that the snow will cover There are
many natural caves in the Park. some
times fonr or five bears Will snugglc