THIRTY YEARS A HUNTER. S7 



here about half an hour. "We traveled on as fast as 

 possible in a direct westerly course toward Kettle 

 Creek, for about ten miles from where the elk had 

 stopped, when Gamble remarked that the elk would 

 not stop in such open woods as we were then trav 

 ersing, and that we had better encamp. I told him 

 that it could not be more than two or three miles to 

 Kettle Creek, and perhaps he would stop on a rock 

 in going down the hill. Accordingly we went two 

 miles farther where we found good camping ground, 

 and as the others were tired and wanted to rest, I 

 told them to build a fire while I continued on to see 

 if I could learn any thing of the dogs. After run- 

 ning about a mile I came to a high bluff where I 

 stood listening until I thought I heard them. I then 

 ascended a tree which stood near, when I could dis- 

 tinctly hear the barking of the dogs, about two miles 

 distant on the other side of the creek. I called to 

 Benjamin and Gamble, and they hurried along in 

 my track. When they had passed two or three rods 

 by the tree in which I was concealed I set up a yell 

 like the cry of a panther. They looked up the tree, 

 and seeing a dark object in the branches, they were 

 very much frightened. After enjoying their alarm 

 a moment I laughed, and told them to hurry on and 

 I would come down immediately. We went in the 

 direction from which the sounds proceeded, crossed 

 Kettle Creek on the ice, and found the elk on a rock 

 fighting the dogs. The rock was about fifteen feet 

 by thirty on the surface, and was fifteen feet above 

 the creek on the side next the creek, and four feet on 



