266 SrORTINQ ADVENTUHES IN THE FAR WEST. 



CHAPTER IX. 



THE ELK, OB WAPITI. 



The Wapiti.— Its Range, Haunts, Habits, and Gait. — Fierce Contests be- 

 tween the Males. — How they may be detected by the "Shaking." — 

 Courage of the Elk. — Two Men charged by a Couple in Oregon. — The 

 Escape. — Novel Mode of killing it in the North-west. — Thousands 

 never saw Man. — When started, said not to stop until it crosses Water. 

 — How Herds run when in Flight. — Their Speed and Endurance. — The 

 Elk as a Roadster and Saddle Animal.— Hide- hunters. — Great Slaugh- 

 ter of the Animal. — Why Hinds lead the Columns. — How to Hunt it 

 successfully in the Forest and on the Plains. — Dr. Carver's Great Feat. 

 — The best Weapons. — How to Shoot on Horseback. — The most Ex- 

 citing Run I ever had after it. — Bagging a Stag. — Pursuit of a Hind, 

 and why she was Captured. — Escape of a Fawn. — Surprised by Indians. 

 — The Assembly. — Our Plans and Stratagems. — A Running Fight. — 

 Loss of the Indians. — Find Refuge in a Chasm. — Death of one of our 

 Men. — He is mutilated, and burned to Death. — Our Retreat. — Suffer 

 from Hunger. — Loss of our Camp, and Escape of the Camp Guard. — 

 Where we found Safety. — A Scalp Dance. — Unusual Abundance of 

 large Game. — We kill sixty Elks in Colorado. — Lassoing Fawns. — 

 Visious of the Sport. 



The so-called elk, or wapiti (Cervus canadensis), is found 

 in every grand division of the region west of the Rocky- 

 Mountains, its range extending from California in the south 

 to British America in the north ; but it is most numerous 

 between the parallels of thirty-eight and fifty-two, where, 

 in many instances, it was formerly seen in herds numbering 

 from fifty to five thousand. It is more abundant in the 

 Coast Range, where it passes through Oregon and Wash- 

 ington Territory, than in any other section, so far as I could 

 learn ; yet it is also common in the wooded portions of 

 Northern California, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, 

 Dakota, British Columbia, and in the beautiful and ex- 

 tensive natural parks of Colorado. Being exceedingly 

 gregarious in habit, where one is found there are sure to 



