A Day with the Elk 
brink. Nothing else showed. The cow raised 
her dripping muzzle. I was so near that I 
could hear the drops tinkle as they fell back 
into the stream. And then a puff of wind, soft 
as a sigh, fanned my cheek, and with a snort 
and a bound the two cows and their youthful 
escort vanished back into the wood. They 
had got my wind, for see me they could not, 
and no log could have lain more still. 
Then arose a mighty trampling on the 
other side of the stream. The trio had 
evidently rejoined the band, startling them 
by their sudden retreat. I crept across 
the stream, and crawled through the thicket 
to spy out the land beyond. A thick, low 
clump of trees thrust itself like a venomous 
green tongue out into the open park which 
stretched away in front of me to the right 
and left. Beyond the park was a heavily 
wooded ridge, whither I felt sure the band 
had gone. But no—notall! Further on, at the 
extreme end of the green tongue of timber, 
in full view and broadside on, stood a young 
bull. He was evidently the last of the herd. 
He stood gazing about him as if he won- 
dered what had startled the others, and why 
67 
