310 FOUR-FOOTED AMERICANS 



" 'Long about ten years ago, wlien I was raouncl out 

 Montana way, Elk hunt in' was good 'nougli fer me. 

 I didn't mind cliasin' over rough, bust-up ground then, 

 or climbin' mount'ins as high as trees grew. Elk 

 Averen't so hard to git, Avinter or summer, for they go 

 in sort of flocks, and when you'd see one you'd likely 

 strike a bunch, but Moose are lonesomer and only travel 

 in slim families. In summer all you needed for Elk 

 was a little know-how and a long-range gun, for though 

 they're scary beasts they are kind of stupid 'bout some 

 things, and don't put two and two together as quick as 

 some others. While they are a figurin', in comes yer 

 shot. Of course if a stag sees yer, he's likely to give a 

 whistle and set the bunch runnin', but anyAvay you 

 can't expect fourfoots to Avait for yer to come up and 

 sprinkle salt on 'em, any more than birds. 



"Elks don't have an easy life. In Avinter the poor 

 things come doAvn to git in Avarm hollers where they 

 could paAV the snow away and find grass, and if the 

 snoAV Avas deep they'd gnaAv bark and flounder araound, 

 so it Avas easy gittin' them. Deer's fine huntin' too, if 

 yer go at it right, and good sport; but there's too 

 many short cuts through sneak trails that folks has got 

 in ther habit er takin', and then braggin' of their kill, 

 — it jest about sickens real sportsmen ! " 



" Please, Nez," said Rap, " you say Moose, Elk, and 

 Deer ; aren't Moose and Elk both Deer ? " 



" Yes, o' course they air by rights, — it's only a Avay 

 o' speakin'. AnyAvhere I'a^c been, if yer say jest Deer, 

 Avithout any other handle, it means common Deer, Vir- 

 ginny Deer, or AAdiat Doc calls American Deer, because 

 it's the one best knoAvn from Canady to the Gulf. A 



