The Washington herald., 1915-10-03
EgI(EKN84
Straddled on a
Mad Moose
By HUBERT EARL,

By HUBERT EARL.
We sat around the big open brick fire.
place in the main cabin Of the camp.
The night air was very cold. and Billy,
our host. had predicted a frost before
morning
In a short time the conversation lulled.
and I ventured to ask Billy to tell the
story connected with the shooting Of the
moose behind US. TT is sure to be in
teresting.'' said. for he looks as If he
! died fighting hard"
We'll. boys" he said. it was ten wears
ago coming winter when I had a camp
near the mouth Of the river below here.
1 was all alone that fall. except for an
occasional hunter or so going UP the trail,
and for some reason deer was scarce.
was husging the fire one cold evening
early in November. when heard a loud
crash outside the camp. Now that meant
one of two things: either a windfall had
taken place. or some large game was
| houndering through the bog near at hand
Seizing my rifle. slipped out of the
cabin.
I looked in the direction from which
the crash had come. but I could see moth
Ing. Softly launching my canoe,
placed nv rifle in the bottom Of it, to be
handy. and started to paddle up the
stream little way. 1 had probably gone
about fifty feet when a branch snapped.
and then came tremendous splash. The
night was too black to see much, but I
made out the huge stump Of a tree that
I had often thrashed for trout from.
Immediately behind this stump lay a
tangle Of dead trees. 1 had stopped pad
Ring. and the current Of the stream was
slowly drifting the canoe toward it, and.
with my rife ready. I waited for a sight
of the game. Judging from the noise Of
the last crash. I knew it must be near
the stump.
Most Of you boys can appreciate what
my feelings were at the moment. for
felt pretty sure Of big game and q good
stock Of meat. 1t took but a few seconds
to drift around to the lee Of that stump,
and quickly, brought Up with a thurnp
bog. What I saw gave me a start. for
there in the deep shadow stood the larg-
est bull moose it has ever been my for
tune to run across.
We'll. I'm an old hunter and have
tracked deer from boyhood. also bear,
moose. and caribou: but, boys, when I
saw that magnificent bull glarins at me
! grew feverish with excitement, and for
a few minutes I simply stared back at
him. I guess we were not more than
twenty feet apart, and as far as I could
tell through the steam rising from him,
he was caught in the bog some way. and
was fighting mad.
Il had been at close quarters with
moose before. but never saw such dan
gerous-looking eyes. Raising my gun. I
fore shoulder. felt shaky. though and
the sights went bobbing up and down
like a cork float. tried hard to get her
steady. and when I had her fairly so I
fired.
There was a most unearthly. savage
cry, anu thC var pOOy Win tuOSe IedT-
full eyes and antlers launched itself for
ward at me. had hit him. but. as 1 aft
erward discovered. the bullet had cut
along through the skin behind the fore
legs. and the pain forced the supreme ef-
fort by which he freed himself from the
bog. He was rapidly coming for me
when I let fly at him again. I hit him
the second time. and hit him hard. but
on he came as though nothing could stop
him. and had Just time enough to plant
another bit of lead in him when he threw
himself half out of the water and plant
ed his forehoofs clean through the canoe.
Il knew I could never get away from
him. as his savage eyes were watching
me. SO when ! saw what his game was.
I made a leap for his back as his hoots
went crashing through the canoe. As
landed on him I caught his antlers with
one hand. drawing my knife with the 9TH
er. Well. boys. I actually laughed at my
queer position. and dare say that moose
was more than surprised. For a moment
he couldn't realize where I had gone to
and what was on his back. That moment
Of hesitation probably saved my life. for
I reached over and drove the knife into
him as near the heart a. I could Judge.
There were a few seconds Of trouble.
during which hung on to his antlers.
until finally. with q big toss Of his head.
he threw me out into the stream I had
lost my knife in the struggle. and knew
II he was not done for it was all up with
me- So ] swan away as rapidly as I
could. expecting every minute to hear
him after me. But his last effort had
settled him, and. with cry OF satisfac-
ton, I looked around, to ind him again
caught In the bog. He was dead at last.
and with a rope ! hitched him to the
stump. The next morning I hauled him
up to the camp. and, after some trouble,
secured the canoe and rife.
He gave me the gamest fight Of my
life, and that Is the reason his hsa6-ths
finest specimen you've probably seem
stands in the camp today"
toupgrisas b Hazp~ md BsusA~a,