American Big-Game Hunting 
I thought they were going to proceed from 
curiosity to more offensive operations, so close 
did they come to us. Even my caterwauling, 
as my friend unfeelingly characterized my 
attempt to imitate their challenges, did not 
seem to alarm them, and not until a full half- 
hour had elapsed did this pair of inquisitive 
worthies at length jog off. 
Elk are vigorous fighters, and while it seems 
that their combats seldom terminate fatally, 
the broken points of their antlers, and their 
scarred and bruised bodies, bear testimony 
to the severity of their encounters. A full- 
grown elk stands about sixteen hands high, 
is about eight feet two inches long from nose 
to tip of tail, and with a girth around the 
chest of about six feet. 
It was on the head of Wind River that I 
secured my largest head. The regularity of 
the points was somewhat marred, as the bull 
had evidently been fighting only a short time 
before I killed him. These horns were not 
very massive, but the length, measured along 
the outside curve, is sixty-three and seven 
eighths inches. The circumference between 
bay and tray is from seven and one half to 
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