RECREA TION. 



XXXI 



HOW WE GOT HIM. 



C. G. LATHROP. 



My friend and I' were patiently and per- 

 sistently wading the deep crusty snow, 

 through cedar swamp and marsh, on the 

 trail of what we pronounced a moose. 



Our chase lasted all day, leading us far 

 into the deep forests, East of the C. & N. 

 W. R. and in the direction of the great lakes. 

 At last night overtook us in the deep, dark 

 forest, and we were obliged to make camp. 

 A fire was lighted and the night was spent 

 amid the tall pines, which were cracking be- 

 neath the howling wind. We welcomed 

 the coming of morning, and at daylight 

 again set out on the trail of our moose. 

 Within 2 hours we arrived at a point which 

 showed where he had rested a part of the 

 night. A light snow had fallen during the 

 night, and he had but just left his resting- 

 place. He had headed for a cedar swamp, 

 and my friend followed the track, while I 

 traveled to the East, following the ridge. 

 We were to meet about noon at the East 

 end of the swamp. 



An hour had scarcely passed, when the 

 crack of my friend's Winchester rang out, 

 far to the North of me, and my courage fell, 

 for I was sure Brow had bagged the game. 

 I sat down on a log to think and to hope 

 our moose might leave the swamp and that 

 I might yet get a shot with my Marlin. In 

 less than 20 minutes I heard a crashing of the 

 under brush in the swamp. For a moment 

 my heart drummed like a grouse on a hol- 

 low log. I leveled my rifle in the direction 

 of the noise and awaited the coming of the 

 long hunted moose. I did not have long to 

 wait, for in an instant the brush parted and, 

 with one mighty lunge, a deer struck the 

 open ground. Alas this was not the moose! 

 I did not lose much time in sizing him up, 

 and at the report of my rifle he leaped into 

 the air and fell dead. I hung him up, 

 dressed him and had scarcely completed my 

 work when I was again startled by a noise 

 coming from the same direction as before. 

 Again I placed my Marlin to my shoulder 

 and kept a sharp lookout. Soon I saw a 

 white flag move among the bushes. I was 

 sure this was some part of the moose so I 

 took good aim and fired at what I could see. 

 The flag dropped at the report of my rifle, 

 and Brow shouted, " Lookout Shep; he's 

 my meat." I had shot at the deer which my 

 friend was carrying on his shoulder. I had 

 not had the buck fever until that moment; 

 and would probably have been shaking yet, 

 but for the coolness Brow showed. We 

 shouldered our 2 small deer and set out 

 to the Southeast in the direction of a clear- 

 ing, where we would leave our deer before 

 again taking up the trail of the moose; as 

 neither of us had yet got a glimpse of him. 

 Leaving our deer in the edge of the clear- 



ing we followed the big fellow until about 3 

 p.m. when he turned to the South; and we 

 were again heading in the direction of the 

 clearing. When within one mile of the clear- 

 ing, to our great joy we saw him about 40 

 rods ahead of us. Our 2 rifles were this 

 time leveled; one report rang out and 2 

 hearts bounded for joy. As the smoke 

 cleared we saw the animal moving at an 

 unsteady gait. We hurried to the spot and 

 found the snow spattered with blood, so we 

 followed the trail. 



We moved cautiously and 3 times caught 

 sight of him, yet he gave us no show for 

 even a snap shot. We finally arrived at the 

 edge of the clearing and saw that he had 

 gone straight across. My friend took the 

 West side and I the East side of the clear- 

 ing. We met on the hill, near a basin where 

 we saw the moose standing within 25 rods 

 of us. Again 2 rifles spoke. He made one 

 lunge and fell forward, pierced by 2 bullets. 

 Then I heard a shout from the opposite 

 side of the basin, " Lookout Shep, he's my 

 meat." But this would not go this time, 

 and I replied that part of him was my meat. 



He proved to be not a moose after all but 

 the largest deer either of us had ever seen. 

 He weighed over 300 pounds and we had 

 hard work getting him and our 2 small 

 deer out of the woods. 



A. D. Porter and J. A. Dales returned 

 from their fishing camp, on the Little Man- 

 istee river, last night. They were in camp 

 3 weeks. It is claimed they caught nearly 

 10,000 trout during that time. 



Michigan Exchange. 



Why quit so soon? Did they quit biting? 

 Why not stay until you cleaned out the 

 stream entirely? No us a leaving any. If 

 you did some other hungry hogs, like your- 

 selves, will come along and take them. 

 You_ might just as well go back and finish 

 the job. We all know you have a great 

 crop of bristles, without looking for them. 



Editor. 



Daniel Whitehouse, of Augusta, Me., 

 caught at Bradley's, East Vassalboro, with 

 hook and line and using worms for bait, 3 

 landlocked salmon weighing respectively 

 zVa-, 2>V\ and 4 l / 2 pounds. Edward Murphy 

 took one that weighed 6 l / 2 pounds. 



Hon. P. O. Vickery, of Augusta, Me., 

 has been fishing on Swan lake. He was 

 accompanied by Hon. H. O. Stanley. Mr. 

 Vickery took 6 handsome fish — 3 salmon 

 and 3 trout, weighing, all told, 22 pounds. 

 The largest of the salmon weighed 6 l / 2 

 pounds, and the smallest trout weighed 2^ 

 pounds. 



