BATTLE 



64 Life-histories of Northern Animals 



horse on either side, or turn around, and the least misstep of 

 his horse would have thrown both over the cliff. The horse, 

 however, remained perfectly quiet. The rider drew his revol- 

 ver, as the Elk charged, and by one shot sent him crashing 

 down the canon below almost on top of his victim. Legg 

 crossed to the other side and worked his way to the bottom of 

 the caiion. Here he found his pack-horse terribly smashed 

 and the stuff he carried more or less injured. He secured 

 the blankets and other things not broken and, loading them 

 on his saddle-horse, returned to his ranch on foot. 



THE We all love to see a fight when not personally in danger. 



I have tried many times to see a real Wapiti duel. I have heard 

 them in the woods more than once, but never actually saw 

 one. 



In October, 1900, I was witness of a curious incident in a 

 trifling Wapiti skirmish near Richmond, Va. A fine big bull 

 Elk was bugling in the woods of the Elk Park. A smaller 

 bull, a 4-pointer, replied with a whistle, then came on in slow 

 and stately march. They locked horns rather deliberately, 

 but the second bull was too light. Again and again he was 

 forced backward, and broke away to save himself. After 

 resting each time some fifty yards off, he would shake his 

 head, squeal and try again, with no better success. At length, 

 the big bull put a little more fife into his attack and drove the 

 young one afar. As he returned, a cow Elk came out of the 

 woods and, at the same time, from under a few sprigs of brush 

 on the much-trampled battle-ground, there rose a spotted 

 fawn, which had been crouching there during the lively fight 

 which was all around him. Whether the bulls were careful 

 not to crush him, or whether he escaped injury by accident, 

 I do not know, but I suspect the latter. 



W. A. Baillie-Grohman, the well-known sportsman, was 

 witness of a tremendous fight. His description is well worth 

 reproducing:^^ The author was camped in the mountains of 

 western Wyoming, and one moonlight night in "bugling time" 



^^ Sport and Life in British Columbia, 1900, pp. 80-81. 



