40 STALKS ABROAD 



in our direction. The grass was long ; the black felt 

 hat was off, and even the objectionable jersey less 

 conspicuous than I had dared to hope. They stood 

 there so long that I began to think their lord and 

 master would come to hurry them up, but presently 

 with slow and stately steps they vanished into the 

 thick timber of which the grove of quaking asp was 

 but the fringe, whilst the bull's whistle grew fainter in 

 the distance. Swearing did no good, and Edward, 

 realising this after a time, condescended to follow. 



The pace at which so large a beast as a wapiti can 

 get over fallen timber is astonishing, and the absence 

 of noise even more remarkable. Save for the occasional 

 snap of a twig or a muttered grumble from the bull, 

 we might have been alone among the trees. Yet 

 there were the fresh tracks still leading down the 

 hill in front of us, and as we came to a marshy patch 

 carpeting the floor of a narrow gulch, I could see the 

 bubbles still breaking where some heavy foot had 

 pressed it but a moment before. On we went, and 

 then before we knew what had happened we were 

 right bang in the thick of them! A startled-look- 

 ing cow appeared, apparently out of a tree within 

 fifteen yards of us, and after one horrified look which 

 sent me into a convulsion of laughter, crashed out of 

 sight. That she landed in something soft was evident 

 from the noise which followed. For some ten seconds 

 the woods re-echoed with their crashing and grunt- 

 ing ; then peace ! perfect peace ! descended and all 

 was still once more. I looked at Edward, and 



