BEYOND THE TETONS 39 



who found two bulls lying together after a hard fight, 

 with interlocked horns. One was quite dead and the 

 other dying. On the carcase of the dead one a bear 

 was feeding, which he killed, and then put the 

 wounded beast out of its misery ; for which, I should 

 think, the poor beast was very thankful, as a more 

 unpleasant situation can hardly be imagined. 



We heard our bull bugling at intervals, but the cows 

 paid no attention, and as he didn't show himself in the 

 open we went on down through the timber. A rustling 

 in the asp ahead warned me that we were getting near 

 the herd, and presently, not sixty yards away, I 

 caught sight of a cow's back. We made our way back 

 out of sight among the trees as she was still blissfully 

 unconscious of our presence, and whilst doing so heard 

 another bull bugling on the ridge from which we had 

 started. I never really set eyes on him, but think he 

 joined the herd which we were after. His challenge 

 roused the wrath of our big bull, and he began to 

 bugle in a manner which would have aroused the 

 envy of any bandmaster. He was an aggravating 

 brute, for we could hear him routing about in the 

 scrub ; but owing to its density, try as we might, 

 could never get a glimpse of him. The cows were all 

 round us, but for a wonder there was but little wind, 

 and they paid no attention to our presence. The one 

 we had first seen was still feeding a couple of hundred 

 yards below us, and there were three more within full 

 view and about thirty yards distant. They were 

 rather uneasy, raising their heads and gazing intently 



