AN ELK-HUNT AT TWO-OCEAN PASS. 205 



stopping continually to paw the ground and 

 thresh the bushes with his antlers. He was 

 very noisy, challenging every minute or two, 

 being doubtless much excited by the neigh- 

 borhood of his rival on the mountain. We 

 followed, Woody leading, guided by the in- 

 cessant calling. 



It was very exciting as we crept toward the 

 great bull, and the challenge sounded nearer 

 and nearer. While we were still at some dis- 

 tance the pealing notes were like those of a 

 bugle, delivered in two bars, first rising, then 

 abruptly falling ; as we drew nearer they 

 took on a harsh squealing sound. Each call 

 made our veins thrill ; it sounded like the 

 cry of some huge beast of prey. At last 

 we heard the roar of the challenge not 

 eighty yards off. Stealing forward three or 

 four yards, I saw the tips of the horns 

 through a mass of dead timber and young 

 growth, and I slipped to one side to get a 

 clean shot. Seeing us but not making out 

 what we were, and full of fierce and insolent 

 excitement, the wapiti bull stepped boldly to- 

 ward us with a stately swinging gait. Then 

 he stood motionless, facing us, barely fifty 

 yards away, his handsome twelve-tined ant- 

 lers tossed aloft, as he held his head with the 

 lordly grace of his kind. I fired into his 

 chest, and as he turned I raced forward and 

 shot him in the flank ; but the second bullet 

 was not needed, for the first wound was 

 mortal, and he fell before going fifty yards. 



The dead elk lay among the young ever- 

 greens. The huge, shapely body was set on 



