Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 January 1903 — “JUMPED" BY A MOOSE. [ARTICLE]

“JUMPED" BY A MOOSE.

Easy Knoujrh for the Animal, but Hard for the City Ban. What it (liil was easy enough for the moose, but a little bit hard for the, city man. The moose, perhaps driven down by the storm, seemed bound to get into the cedar thickets, like the white tailed deer, and It led us a merry chase, worming iu and out among the snow-covered trees. Needless to say, we were soon I liorou|*hly wetted with the snow, which fell from the trees on our necks and shoulders, but, of course, one does not mind a little tiling like that, says a writer in Forest and Stream. The interest of the chase kept us warm. We could see that we were getting closer and closer to our game. Presently we could see that we. were getting very close. At last we saw where we laid gotten within 100 yards of it. There was the story. A deep pit, as though a great horse had lain there. “Jumped,” said Adam. “Sure,” said I.

Then we sat down and thought it over for a while. We went ou some more, and presently we came across two more moose tracks, a big one and a Utile one, probably a cow ana a calf, as Adam thought. We were then three tniles from the camp, and It was not too late in the day, so we thought we would follow on and see what this bunch would do to us. They did pretty much the same as the young bull had done. We followed these tracks through all kinds of country, saw where the animals had fed in among the willows and alders, and on the roundwooil, and finally puzzled out their trail until we knew that we were getting very close. This time we were near indeed to seeing our moose. We were perhaps not fifty yards away when we came to a couple more big holes in the snow, aud some more regular holes beyond. Jumped again! There was the fetory, plain enough. This time we might almost have heard the bushes rattle ns we went out. As we stood there wo heard a hoarse, harsh, curious kind of coughing bark. Adam laughed. “That old lady is just wondering what in the world it was that seared her,” said he. “.She is frightened, but is not exactly sure what it is that frightened her. Just listen to her.” Once, twice aud again that same coughing bark came back to us. Then all was still, and we were again all alone in the white wilderness. We concluded that we xvould go home after that.