176 THE WILDERNESS HUNTER. 



CHAPTER IX. 



THE WAPITI OR ROUND-HORNED ELK. 



ONCE, while on another hunt with John 

 Willis, I spent a week in a vain effort 

 to kill moose among the outlying mountains 

 at the southern end of the Bitter Root range. 

 Then, as we had no meat, we determined to 

 try for elk, of which we had seen much 

 sign. 



We were camped with a wagon, as high 

 among the foot-hills as wheels could go, but 

 several hours' walk from the range of the 

 game ; for it was still early in the season, and 

 they had not yet come down from the upper 

 slopes. Accordingly we made a practice of 

 leaving the wagon for two or three days at a 

 time to hunt ; returning to get a night's rest 

 in the tent, preparatory to a fresh start. On 

 these trips we carried neither blankets nor 

 packs, as the walking was difficult and we had 

 much ground to cover. Each merely put on 

 his jacket with a loaf of frying-pan bread and 

 a paper of salt stuffed into the pockets. We 

 were cumbered with nothing save our rifles 

 and cartridges. 



On the morning in question we left camp 

 at sunrise. For two or three hours we walked 

 up-hill through a rather open growth of small 

 pines and spruces, the travelling being easy. 



