294 CAMP-FIRES OF A NATURALIST. 



emerged from the woods on the opposite side of the 

 park. It was an old cow, and soon others appeared. 

 They trooped out of the woods until fully sixty were 

 in sight. Then from another point, off to one side, 

 thirty more came out. All these were cows and 

 calves, with a very few young bulls. Now the old 

 bulls began to make their appearance, the last to come 

 into the park. This immense band was counted, 

 and it was found that there were one hundred and 

 twenty-five. 



The wind was blowing directly from the hunters 

 towards the band, and a consultation showed a diver- 

 sity of opinion as to the proper mode of procedure. 

 Jim was a good woodsman, but the sight of so many 

 elk at one time evidently " rattled " him and gave 

 him an attack of elk fever. He strongly opposed 

 Dyche's plans for a long stalk which would take 

 them around and ahead of the band where they could 

 lie in ambush and select the finest of the lot, but in- 

 sisted on crawling under poor cover directly down 

 towards them. He was afraid to let them get out of 

 his sight lest they should go off and never be seen 

 again. Much against his will, Dyche consented to 

 try Jim's plan, for he saw that any other course 

 might cause the excited hunter to make an untimely 

 movement which would spoil the entire stalk. 



Jim's plan was followed, and then it was found 

 that they had to retrace their steps and begin over 

 again. Three times was this done before Jim became 

 convinced that Dyche's idea was the better. But now 

 it was almost too late, for the band had fed near the 

 spot where the naturalist desired to hide. The ani- 



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