142 ADVENTURES OF DR. ALLEN. 



threatening manner, as though they fancied they could scare 

 us from our bower. What a glorious opportunity for a 

 hunter! The game was almost at our door and in large 

 numbers. We felt like picking up our rifles and tackling 

 them at once. But supper was to be cooked, and various 

 other things done preparatory to the morrow's slaughter. 



Next morning, before the sun was visible above the 

 mountains, we were ready to grapple with any kind of game. 

 The morning was very bright, but not brighter than our 

 hopes for the day. The first game we espied was a band of 

 thirty-two elks, lying in a cove between Steward and me. 

 He had come out on a ridge and I had taken a route below 

 him. I sneaked up to the mouth of the cove, as their faces 

 were turned that way, and if startled they would be likely 

 to run in my direction. When within seventy-five yards of 

 them, I lay down behind a rock, and was just taking aim 

 at a large cow that had risen, when the crack of a rifle 

 startled me, and the cow fell to the ground. 



By this time the others were upon their feet and mak- 

 ing toward me in great fright. The foremost one was a 

 calf, about one year old, and I killed it at the first shot. The 

 next was a large bull. I threw in another shell and drew 

 a bead for his heart. Though he was badly hit, he did not 

 stop. I shot at a two-year-old cow, missed her, fired again, 

 and brought her down. The band was now too far off 

 for another shot. The wounded bull ran about half a mile 

 and dropped. 



Steward had forestalled me on the first cow, and killed 

 another while they were running, which gave us five large 

 fat elks, not a bad day's work. We packed them to camp, 

 and next morning, after a hearty breakfast, made ready for 

 the home trip, our mules having as much as they could carry. 

 Steward took the meat home, promising to come back the 

 next day, while I stayed to care for the camp. 



