TIIIKrTT YEAKS A BUNTER. S3 



tliem, ana could only determine their direction 

 by digging out the snow and examining them. 

 After satisfying ourselves on that point, we followed 

 the tracks about three miles, when we found a fresh 

 track. The elk was going toward the east, and I 

 remarked that he would probably cross at the Upper 

 Round Islands, if we did not catch him first. After 

 following the track about three miles we arrived at 

 a small hollow surrounded by rocks, with abundance 

 of timber. As' it was nearly night, and the weather 

 cold and stormy, we concluded to cut some hemlock 

 boughs and make a shanty. The next morning we 

 started again on the elk-trail, and after proceeding 

 about two miles, we found where he had been feed- 

 ing. I went on ahead to reconnoiter, and had gone 

 but a short distance when I discovered him resting, 

 chewing his cud. When the rest of the party came 

 up, I directed them to loose two of the dogs, of which 

 we had three very good ones. The elk sprang up 

 and started off toward the Lower Round Islands 

 with the dogs in full pursuit. When he arrived at 

 the bluff overlooking the creek, he halted upon a 

 large rock on the brow of a precipice of four hun- 

 dred feet. From the lower side a large fragment 

 had been disengaged, and torn a path forty feet wide 

 ^nd a mile long, to the creek, where it lodged, and 

 stuck about fifteen feet out of the water, which was 

 eight or ten feet deep. When I arrived I did not 

 think it prudent to rope the elk there, fearing he 

 would jump off and kill himself. I accordingly 

 returned to the others, to prevent their approaching 



