chap. II. ELK TURNED TO BAY. 33 



gives them a cheer on, and steps into the torrent, knife 

 in hand. Quick as lightning the buck springs to the 

 attack ; but he has exposed himself, and at that 

 moment the tall lurchers are upon his ears ; the hunts- 

 man leaps upon one side and plunges the knife behind 

 his shoulder. A tremendous struggle takes place — 

 the whole pack is upon hirn ; still his dying efforts 

 almost free him from their hold : a mass of spray 

 envelopes the whole scene. Suddenly he falls — he 

 dies — it is all over. The hounds are called off, and are 

 carefully examined for wounds. 



The huntsman is now perhaps some miles from 

 home, he, therefore, cuts a long pole, and tying a 

 large bunch of grass to one end, he sticks the 

 other end into the ground close to the river's edge 

 where the elk is lying. This marks the spot. He 

 calls his hounds together and returns homeward, and 

 afterwards sends men to cut the buck up and bring 

 the flesh. Elk venison is very good, but is at all 

 times more like beef than English venison. 



The foregoing may be considered a general descrip- 

 tion of elk-hunting, although the incidents of the sport 

 necessarily vary considerably. 



The boar is our dangerous adversary, and he is 

 easily known by the character of the run. The hounds 

 seldom open with such a burst upon the scent as they 

 do with an elk. The run is much slower ; he runs 

 down this ravine and up that, never going straight 



