28O ADVENTURES OF DR. ALLEN. 



foliage, and had left only the charred bodies of the pines. But 

 tender grasses had come again, however, with the spring, 

 and we could see where the elks had eaten the sweet mosses 

 as they toiled up the mountain. 



Heavy perspiration was almost blinding me and I 

 thought I had gone my full limit, when I heard the crash of a 

 broken log and saw the whole band of elks charging through 

 the timber to the west. Thinking nothing of fatigue and 

 knowing they could not go straight up the rocks, we both 

 started down the mountain like a pair of bloodhounds. Our 

 time was short, if we were to capture our prize. On we went, 

 falling over logs, tearing through the brush, until we reached 

 the bottom. Our game had just crossed the stream, and was 

 now in an open park. 



Cal opened fire by sending a ball which threw up the 

 dirt in front of the leader. This had the desired effect, 

 turned the cow in her course, and,, as she swerved down the 

 hill, he sent another ball after her. Now was my time. I 

 drew a full bead on her shoulder and fired, and she reeled 

 down the hill like a drunken man. Our rifles banged in quick 

 succession and the elks became bewildered. Cal got a shell 

 stuck fast in his gun and was not a participant in the battle 

 from that time. 



We killed two large cows and wounded two bulls. We 

 dressed the cows and were after the bulls, our course taking 

 us through the worst jungle I have ever seen. Eventually 

 we found where they had climbed up the broken rocks and 

 fallen timber, until they had reached a situation where it was 

 impossible for us either to get them out, or to take a horse 

 where we could get at them at all. 



The excitement was now over, our day's work was done 

 and we were ten miles from camp. I cannot describe our 

 return trip to camp, but we reached it about ten o'clock at 



