Gilpin observer., 1917-04-26
Charged MOOSE
Colonel Roosevelt Relates Excit-
ing Episode of Hunting Trip.
Forced In seIf-Defense to XIII Animal
Which TraiIed and Attacked
Party In Woods.

In "a Book-Lover's Holiday in the
Open" Col. Theodore Roosevelt takes
his readers into the less familiar cor
ners of both North and South Amer
lea. Many Of his experiences were ex-
citing, but perhaps the most thrilling
was his encounter with bull moose
when on a recent hunting trip in
Quebec.
"When we were half a mile from the
landing" he says, 1--WE saw big bull
moose on the edge of the shore ahead
of us. He looked bigger than the one
1 had shot that morning, and his ant
lers were rather more palmated. We
padded up to within a hundred yards
Of him, laughing and talking, and re-
marking how eager we should have
been If we had not already got our
moose.
"At first he did not seem to notice us.
Then he looked at us, but paid no fur
ther heed. We were surprised, but
padded on past him; we supposed that
he did not realize what we were. But
another hundred yards put us to wind.
ward. Instead of turning into the for
est when he got our wind, the moose
merely bristled up the hair on his
withers, shook his head and walked
along the shore after us. Plainly he
meant mischief. So we turned the
canoe round and padded on our back
track. But the moose promptly TUNED
and followed us along the shore. We
yelled at him, and OdilOn struck the
canoe with his paddle, but with no ef-
feet.
"FOr more thar an hour he thus kept
us from the shore, running to meet us
wherever we tried to go. The. after
noon was waning, and cold wind be-
gan to blow. He was not pleasant
the dusk. We were at our wits ends
to know what to do. At last he turned,
shook his head and,~with flourish of
his heels, galloped-not trOtted-fOr 90
yards up along the little river that
paralleled the portage trail. called
Arthur's attention to that, as he had
been telling me that a big bull never
galloped. Then the moose disappeared
at trot around the bend. We waited
few minutes, cautiously landed and
started along the trail, watching to see
If the bull were lying in wait for us.
Arthur told me that If he now at
tackled us l must shoot him at once OF
he would kill someone.
"a couple Of hundred yards on, the
trail led within a few yards of the lit
tie river. As we reached that point a
tn,
posite bank caused us to wheel; and
the great bull came headlong for us.
Arthur called to me to shoot. With
last hope of frightening him l fired
over his head, without the slightest
effect. At a slashing trot he crossed
the river, shaking his head, with his
ears laid back and the hair on his
withers bristling.
"Tirez, m'sieu, tirez; vite, vite!
called Arthur, and when the bull was
not 80 feet away put bullet into
his chest, in the sticking point. 1t
was a mortal wound, and stopped him
short.
II was sorry to have to kill him, but
there was no alternative. AS 1t was, l
only stopped him in the nick of time,
and had l not shot straight at least
one of us would have paid forfeit
with his life. Even in Africa 1 have
never known anything except rogue
elephant or buffalo, or an occasional
rhinOcerOs, to attack so viciously or
with such premeditation when he was
neither wounded nor, threatened."-
Youths Companion.