178 THE WILDERNESS HUNTER. 



covering walk. We went up the valley until 

 we were well past its middle, and saw abun- 

 dance of fresh elk sign. Evidently two or 

 three bands had made the neighborhood their 

 headquarters. Among them were some large 

 bulls, which had been trying their horns not 

 only on the quaking-asp and willow saplings, 

 but also on one another, though the rut had 

 barely begun. By one pool they had scooped 

 out a kind of a wallow or bare spot in the grass, 

 and had torn and tramped the ground with 

 their hoofs. The place smelt strongly of their 

 urine. 



By the time the sun set we were sure the 

 elk were towards the head of the valley. We 

 utilized the short twilight in arranging our 

 sleeping place for the night, choosing a thick 

 grove of spruce beside a small mountain tarn, 

 at the foot of a great cliff. We were chiefly 

 influenced in our choice by the abundance of 

 dead timber of a size easy to handle ; the fuel 

 question being all-important on such a trip, 

 where one has to lie out without bedding, and 

 to keep up a fire, with no axe to cut wood. 



Having selected a smooth spot, where some 

 low-growing firs made a wind break, we drag- 

 ged up enough logs to feed the fire through- 

 out the night. Then we drank our fill at the 

 icy pool, and ate a few mouthfuls of bread. 

 While it was still light we heard the queru- 

 lous bleat of the conies, from among the slide 

 rocks at the foot of the mountain ; and the 

 chipmunks and chickarees scolded at us. As 

 dark came on, and we sat silently gazing into 

 the flickering blaze, the owls began muttering 

 and hooting. 



