MY BIG 
‘In the fall of 1898 I planned to take a 
hunting and fishing trip in the Seven Ponds 
region, in Northwestern Maine. I left Phil- 
adelphia on Monday, September 7th, and 
arrived at Beaver Pond (where Ed. Grant 
keeps half a dozen camps for the accom- 
modation of sportsmen) on the evening of 
September gth, pretty well tired out. 
A night’s rest and a good breakfast com- 
pletely restored me and, getting my rod to- 
gether, I sallied out after trout and suc- 
ceeded in landing 20 half pounders, letting 
all go except 5, which I kept for my lunch. 
That afternoon I went to Little Island 
Pond. I had very good sport, catching 
about 30, and keeping a half dozen of the 
largest, averaging about 34 of a pound. 
I went fishing and tramping during Sep- 
tember, visiting all the ponds and streams 
within a radius of 15 miles, getting good 
sport and having a glorious time; but when 
September had slipped by and October with 
its clear cold nights and beautiful days had 
come, my rod was laid aside and I took out 
my rifle. 
This was new, I had never fired it before 
I came to Seven Ponds, and did not know 
what it was capable of. It was a .25-30 
smokeless, with a half magazine, take down 
model. 
I went still hunting in the surrounding 
country as soon as the leaves had fallen 
from the trees sufficiently to see any dis- 
tance in the woods. On the first day’s hunt, 
after walking about an hour, I came upon 
a buck lying down in the sun, in the lee of 
a large windfall. He saw me as soon as I 
saw him and started up. I fired one shot at 
about 40 yards and missed him clean, but a 
second took him just back of the shoulders 
and after a few jumps he fell. The guide 
went up and cut his throat, and by tying 
his feet together and stringing him on a 
pole we got him safe to camp. 
I went still hunting several times after 
this and succeeded in shooting a good sized 
doe, but so far I had not seen a moose. My 
time was nearly up, for I had to leave for 
the city on the first of November and it 
was now the 20th of October. 
On the afternoon of the 21st Clyde (my 
guide) and I walked over to Little Island 
pond, I taking my rifle along in case we 
should see some ruffed grouse, which were 
fairly abundant, and offered a _ pleasant 
change from venison and canned meat. 
266 
NICO Sie: 
When we reached the landing which is 
at the pond, I sat down and fell to admir- 
ing the scenery. 
Clyde asked me for my field glasses and 
he began to examine the shores of the pond. 
An exclamation from him drew my atten- 
tion, but when I asked him what the mat- 
ter was he would not answer until we had 
the boat in the water, I being in the bow 
and he paddling in the stern. Then I 
learned that there was some animal moving 
in a little marsh at the other end of the 
pond about a mile distant. 
We paddled slowly down the pond until 
close enough to see that it was a big bull 
moose. Every time the moose raised his 
head Clyde stopped paddling and we sat as 
if carved out of stone, until the moose re- 
sumed his eating. Finally we got within 
about 200 yards of the moose, standing 
side on and looking as big as an elephant. 
Now and then he would step forward and 
swing those mighty antlers that I so coveted. 
Clyde held the boat steady now and [ 
raised the rifle to my shoulder and fired. 
The moose jumped up and came down fac- 
ing me with his feet spread wide apart. I 
had missed him clean. 
I threw another shell into the chamber 
and, aiming just where his neck joined his 
body I fired, and the moose vanished. I did 
not know what was the result until Clyde 
said “ he’s down.” 
We paddled up and found him stone dead 
in about 2 feet of water. “I was im! the 
seventh heaven of delight until Clyde 
brought me to earth by saying: 
“Well now that we’ve got him what are 
we going to do with him?” 
“Do with him,” I said, “‘ why, take him 
into the boat, of course.” 
Clyde laughed, and said: 
“T didn’t think you were quite so green. 
We couldn’t lift him, and if we did a boat 
like this wouldn't float him.” 
“ How are we to get him to camp, then? ” 
I asked. 
“Well I'll show you,” said Clyde, where- 
upon he took a piece of rope, tied it to 
the animal’s hind legs, and proceeded to 
tow him to the landing by paddling. 
That towing was about the longest job of 
the kind I have shared. It took us nearly 2 
hours, and then I had to go to camp and get 
3 more guides to help us get him out of the 
water and back to camp. 
b] 

