Forest Life and Forest Trees: comprising winter camp-life among the loggers, and wild-wood adventure.: with Descriptions of lumbering operations on the various; rivers of Maine and New BrunswickSpringer, John S.
History
Forest Life and Forest Trees: comprising winter camp-life among the loggers, and wild-wood adventure.: with Descriptions of lumbering operations on the various; rivers of Maine and New Brunswick
Springer, John S.
Lumbering -- Maine; Maine -- Description and travel; New Brunswick -- Description and travel; Trees
Passing along one day in pursuit of timber, my attention was arrested
by a track of uncommon size and appearance. It was round, and about
the size of a hat crown, and penetrated the snow where it would bear
me. I noticed where the creature stepped over a large fallen tree
about two feet and a half high. A light snow several inches deep
covered the log, which he did not even brush with his belly as he
passed over it. From the nature of the track, I knew he did not jump.
His legs could not have been less than three feet in length. After
this discovery, I made my way to where the rest of the crew were at
work with right good will. A similar track, of probably this same
animal, has been seen by many different persons and parties, at places
quite remote from each other, for several winters; but no one, that I
am aware of, is satisfied that he has yet been seen, unless, indeed,
by two or three lads while on the shore of the Grand Lake, who were
fishing out of holes cut in the ice near the shore. About half a mile
from them a long point made out into the lake, running parallel with
the shore, which formed the boundary of a deep cove. The ice had
become quite weak; still, it bore them with safety. While busily
engaged with their fishing-tackle, their attention was suddenly
arrested by a loud, splashing noise, as though some one was struggling
in the water; and, on looking for the cause, they saw a large animal
endeavoring to make the main land, crossing directly from the point
toward them. He continued to break in every few rods, when he would
spring out again with the agility of a cat. After getting out, he
would stand and look round, then venture forward, and break through as
before. The description they gave of his appearance was that he looked
just like an immense cat; appeared to be about four feet high, and
five or six feet long, thick-set about the head and shoulders,
resembling somewhat in this particular the bull-dog. His general color
was quite like that of a mouse, or, to use the boys' own words,
"bluish," with light breast and belly. His tail was very long,
reaching down quite to the ice, and curled up at the end; this he
moved about just as a cat moves its tail. Waiting but a moment to gain
this general view, they made for home with all possible dispatch,
about one mile distant. Several men, with guns and axes, immediately
started for the lake, but nothing further was seen of him. The manner
in which the ice was broken fully confirmed the statement made by the
boys respecting the size of this unknown creature.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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