HUNTING THE ELK. 369 



dress and usefulness are prepared. The solid portion or shaft of 

 the perfect horn is wrought by the Indians into a bow, which ia 

 highly serviceable from its elasticity, as well as susceptible of 

 beauty of po.ish and form. 



The warlike bearing of the elk, when hard pressed by the 

 hunters, is illustrated in the following instance, from Long's Ex. 

 pedition to the Rocky Mountains. " A herd of twenty or thirty 

 elk were seen at no great distance from the party, standing in the 

 water, or lying upon the sand-beach. One of the finest bucks 

 was singled out by a hunter, who fired upon him : whereupon 

 the whole herd plunged into the thicket and disappeared. Rely- 

 ing upon the skill of the hunter, and confident that his shot was 

 fatal, several of the party dismounted and pursued the elk into the 

 woods, where the wounded buck was soon overtaken. Finding 

 his pursuers close upon him, the elk turned furiously upon the 

 foremost, who only saved himself by spring ng into a thicket, 

 which was impassable to the elk, whose enormous antlers, becom- 

 ing so entangled in the vines as to be covered to their tips, he was 

 held fast and b.ind-folded, and was despatched by repeated bulleta 

 and stabs." 



