158 The Wilderness Hunter. 



up the valley until we were well past its middle, and saw 

 abundance of fresh elk sign. Evidently two or three 

 bands had made the neighborhood their headquarters. 

 Among them were some large bulls, which had been try- 

 ing their horns not only on the quaking-asp and willow 

 saplings, but also on one another, though the rut had 

 barely begun. By one pool they had scooped out a kind 

 of wallow or bare spot in the grass, and had torn and 

 tramped the ground with their hoofs. The place smelt 

 strongly of their urine. 



By the time the sun set we were sure the elk were 

 towards the head of the valley. We utilized the short 

 twilight in arranging our sleeping place for the night, 

 choosing a thick grove of spruce beside a small mountain 

 tarn, at the foot of a great cliff. We were chiefly influ- 

 enced in our choice by the abundance of dead timber of a 

 size easy to handle ; the fuel question being all-important 

 on such a trip, where one has to lie out without bedding, 

 and to keep up a fire, with no axe to cut wood. 



Having selected a smooth spot, where some low-growing 

 firs made a wind break, we dragged up enough logs to feed 

 the fire throuofhout the niofht. Then we drank our fill at 

 the icy pool, and ate a few mouthfuls of bread. While it 

 was still light we heard the querulous bleat of the conies, 

 from among the slide rocks at the foot of the mountain ; 

 and the chipmunks and chickarees scolded at us. As 

 dark came on, and we sat silently gazing into the flickering 

 blaze, the owls began muttering and hooting. 



Clearing the ground of stones and sticks, we lay down 

 beside the fire, pulled our soft felt hats over our ears, 



