232 The Wilderness Hunter 



had ended our work we grasped our rifles and 

 trotted toward him along the game-trail. He was 

 very noisy, uttering his loud, singing challenge every 

 minute or two. The trail was so broad and firm that 

 we walked in perfect silence. After going only five 

 or six hundred yards, we got very close indeed, and 

 stole forward on tiptoe, listening to the roaring 

 music. The sound came from a steep, narrow 

 ravine, to one side of the trail, and I walked toward 

 it with my rifle at the ready. A slight puff gave the 

 elk my wind, and he dashed out of the ravine like 

 mad; but he was only thirty yards off, and my 

 bullet went into his shoulder as he passed behind a 

 clump of young spruce. I plunged into the ravine, 

 scrambled out of it, and raced after him. In a 

 minute I saw him standing with drooping head, 

 and two more shots finished him. He also bore fine 

 antlers. It was a great piece of luck to get three 

 such fine bulls at the cost of half a day's light work ; 

 but we had fairly earned them, having worked hard 

 for ten days, through rain, cold, hunger, and fatigue, 

 to no purpose. That evening my home-coming to 

 camp, with three elk-tongues and a brace of ruffed 

 grouse hung at my belt, was most happy. 



Next day it snowed, but we brought a pack-pony 

 to where the three great bulls lay, and took their 

 heads to camp; the flesh was far too strong to be 

 .worth taking, for it was just the height of the rut. 



This was the end of my hunt; and a day later 



