Oxford Democrat., 1915-06-29

black river muck, crossed and re-crossed
with dead trees and stumps and bushes,
all dry and ready to break with . snap
that would frighten any denizen OF the
wilderness. stayed In the canoe, cling
ing to the tree trunk, not daring. to move,
scarcely daring to breathe. With Infinite
.lowness and caution he approached the
grassy bank, now in mud to the tops o.
his boots, now clambering over log.
now slipping around tangled mass OF
trunks and roots, every nerve strained
in the attempt to move noiselessly. Al
wsys keeping on the lee side, he stole tn
a position abont fifteen feet away from
the moose and took third picture.
And still the creature did not move.
Still the eyes we're closed and still the
great head with it's monstrous spread OF
horns moved In slumbrous regularity. !
wanted to scream as saw Jack 60 near
er and nearer. "Is he going to try 10
ride himp" thought, "as Colonel Young
told us last night some guides once did !"
he was within eight feet Of the animal
when I saw him stop and again press the
bulb of the camera. This was the fourth
picture.
Then he stepped back few feet. For
a moment the tension was relaxed. But
was not prepared for his next move
nor for that of the moose, either.
heard a shrill whistle, then Jacks lusty
voice calling, "ai, there;-Time to get
up, Bill"
What followed happened too quickly
for accurate description. Quicker than
the eye could follow the huge beast was
on bis feet,-doubtless the most astound-
ed moose in all moosedom-ith barely
two giant strides had swept by Jack and
was headed directly for me in the little
red canoe. There was no time to think,
M time even to have sensation OF fear.
Instinctively pushed the bow back an
inch or two behind the tree trunk and
held on tight. What else could do? In
a moment seemed to have every detail
of his appearance fixed in my mind.
uoticed his long awkward legs, the con
tour OF his powerful body, bis wide
spreading antlers, his startled eyes, his
open nostrils; as in dreamI saw him
plunge into the river almost over
the bow OF the canoe; felt the
splashing water drsuch me like shower
from head to foot; felt the swaying of
the frail craft from the wake caused by
his mighty strokes as he swan the mar
row stream; and watched him disappear
forever into the woods on the opposite
bank.
Jack came rushing down to see that !
was safe-for he had bad bad quarter
of minute when he saw the frightened
animal making straight for his wife-and
succeeded in swapping one more picture
of his antlered higbness half way across
the river. This was badly out Of focus,
but shows how nearly the moose came to
jumping into the canoe, rather than over
it. He told me afterYard that he had had
his camera focused to take the moose
getting up, but nothing but creased
lightning could ever have secured pic
ture at that instant.
We sat for q moment-he on a stump
and l still holding fast to the tree trunk
and side of the canoe-and looked at
each other in amazement. "Did 1t really
happenp" We questioned. "Did big
bull moose actually come down this run.
way within two feet Of usp'' Then and
there we decided that no matter what
other excitement came to us on the trip,
the experience we had just had was
enough to make the journey worth while.