An Elk-Hunt at Two-Ocean Pass 223 



bits scuttled away, the big furry feet which give them 

 their name already turning white. At last we came 

 out on the great plateau, seamed with deep, narrow 

 ravines. Reaches of pasture alternated with groves 

 and open forests of varying size. Almost immedi- 

 ately we heard the bugle of a bull elk, and saw a 

 big band of cows and calves on the other side of a 

 valley. There were three bulls with them, one very 

 large, and we tried to creep up on them; but the 

 wind was baffling and spoiled our stalk. So we re- 

 turned to our horses, mounted them, and rode a mile 

 further, toward a large open wood on a hillside. 

 When within two hundred yards we heard directly 

 ahead the bugle of a bull, and pulled up short. In 

 a moment I saw him walking through an open glade ; 

 he had not seen us. The slight breeze brought us 

 down his scent. Elk have a strong characteristic 

 smell ; it is usually sweet, like that of a herd of Al- 

 derney cows; but in old bulls, while rutting, it is 

 rank, pungent, and lasting. We stood motionless 

 till the bull was out of sight, then stole to the wood, 

 tied our horses, and trotted after him. He was 

 traveling fast, occasionally calling; whereupon oth- 

 ers in the neighborhood would answer. Evidently 

 he had been driven out of some herd by the master 

 bull. 



He went faster than we did, and while we were 

 vainly trying to overtake him we heard another very 

 loud and sonorous challenge to our left. It came 



