Photographing Wild Game 



far as we dared, we pitched camp in a little 

 park, and picketing our pack-animals, started 

 to reconnoiter. I found an abundance of 

 fresh tracks and wallows, and finally saw two 

 young bull elk feeding in the open. The 

 only point which would enable me to get 

 near them with a fair light, required me to 

 get very nearly in line with the wind ; but 

 as there was nothing else to be done, I deter- 

 mined to chance it. When I arrived at this 

 point, I found that in feeding they had 

 walked farther away, and I was obliged to 

 crawl over the intervening space. We had 

 nearly accomplished this when the circling 

 of the wind gave them an inkling of our 

 presence, and put them on the alert. We 

 remained quiet, hoping that the wind would 

 change back; but it did not, and they stole 

 away into the thicket. 



About three o'clock we caught sight of a 

 twelve-point bull coming out to drink. I 

 could have snapped at him with a downward 

 shot, as I was on the slope above him; but as 

 the distance was great, I decided to try and 

 get nearer. He walked in behind some wil- 

 lows and, as I discovered afterward, lay 

 309 



