1 88 The IVildcmess Htinter, 



and we became chilled throuo^h whenever we sat down to 

 listen. We caught a glimpse of a big bull feeding up-hill, 

 and followed him ; it needed smart running to overtake 

 him, for an elk, even while feeding, has a ground-covering 

 gait. Finally we got within a hundred and twenty-five 

 yards, but in very thick timber, and all I could see plainly 

 was the hip and the after-part of the flank. I waited for 

 a chance at the shoulder, but the bull got my wind and 

 was off before I could pull trigger. It was just one of 

 those occasions when there are two courses to pursue, 

 neither very good, and when one is apt to regret which- 

 ever decision is made. 



At noon we came to the edge of a deep and wide 

 gorge, and sat down shivering to await what might turn 

 up, our fingers numb, and our wet feet icy. Suddenly the 

 love-challenge of an elk came pealing across the gorge, 

 through the fine, cold rain, from the heart of the forest 

 opposite. An hour's stiff climb, down and up, brought 

 us nearly to him ; but the wind forced us to advance from 

 below through a series of open glades. He was lying on 

 a point of the cliff-shoulder, surrounded by his cows ; and 

 he saw us and made off. An hour afterward, as we were 

 trudging up a steep hill-side dotted with groves of fir and 

 spruce, a young bull of ten points, roused from his day- 

 bed by our approach, galloped across us some sixty yards 

 off. We were in need of better venison than can be fur- 

 nished by an old rutting bull ; so I instantly took a shot 

 at the fat and tender young ten-pointer. I aimed well 

 ahead and pulled trigger just as he came to a small 

 gully ; and he fell into it in a heap with a resounding 



