The Wapiti and his Antlers. 77 



Another circumstance that I noticed, and one that my previous 

 and subsequent experience with wapiti during the rutting season 

 confirms, was that the master stags were by no means distinguished 

 by the largest antlers, but appeared, with a few exceptions, to be 

 the largest in body. 



To watch wapiti fighting a sight that in the old days 

 frequently stirred the heart of the sportsman who had the patience 

 and skill to get close up to the scene of battle was to witness 

 grand exhibitions of endurance and prowess. Not quite so quick 

 in their movements as the European red deer, they would yet rush 

 at each other with the same angry impetuosity, and one could often 

 hear the sound of clashing antlers for some distance off, and be 

 guided by it to the spot where the battle royal was proceeding ; the 

 hinds, graceful but coy representatives of their sex, calmly looking 

 on, nibbling at the grass, and, while permitting forbidden attentions 

 from the younger stags, taking apparently but slight interest in the 

 issues of the mortal combat. 



So far, however, as my experience goes, only a minority of 

 these engagements terminated fatally at least, on the spot. The 

 majority of fights between old bulls that I have had occasion to 

 watch ended in consequence of the exhausted state of the 

 combatants, who finally would drop on their knees, and, with 

 antlers apparently inextricably interlocked, thrust and push till 

 their last particle of strength was exhausted, and their panting 

 breath issued from their open mouths like so much steam. 



One more than ordinarily striking battle I once watched in a 

 then nameless range of mountains in Western Wyoming, on one of 

 'those bright moonlight October nights one would like so much to 

 live over again. The air was keen with frost, while a thin vapoury 

 mist veiled the depressions in the broken surface of the country. 

 Distant " whistling " of wapiti lured me from our snug camp fire 

 soon after an ample supper had satisfied an appetite made 

 ravenous by a long day after some distant bighorn. With my pipe 

 and old Express, I strolled forth into the still bright night. The 

 wind came straight from the direction of the band, now hardly more 



