98 pioneer life; oe, 



who said that he had seen in the road the largest elk 

 tracks he ever saw. I told Campbell of the indica- 

 tions I had discovered, and that the tracks were 

 probably those of the same animal. We invited the 

 man to eat supper with us, as we were greatly 

 obliged to him for the information he had given us. 

 Campbell thought we could not catch him, as we had 

 not sufficient force. I told him I could take the elk 

 alone. The next morning we started at daybreak 

 and found the tracks of the elk, going west. A mile 

 and a half farther he had lain the previous night. 

 In a moment Campbell saw him, and cried out, 

 " There he stands : the largest elk I ever saw ! " I 

 let the dogs go, they attacked him vigorously, and 

 he ran south ten miles to Kettle Creek. He then ran 

 around a hill, and: turned up the east branch, which 

 he ascended four miles on the ice, when he broke 

 through, into water about four feet deep. Here the 

 dogs worried him, as we judged, about two hours, 

 when he started again, ran up a hill, and halted on a 

 rock. The dogs pursued him to the rock, and then 

 returned to us. We met them two or three miles 

 from the elk, which had taken a circuitous course, so 

 that the track at one place was but a fourth of a mile 

 from the rock on which he was stationed, while it was 

 two miles to follow the track. The dogs tried to go 

 directly to the elk, but we thought they saw some- 

 thing else, and compelled them to keep the track, 

 reaching the elk about dark.. Campbell made ready 

 the rope, while I cut a pole about fifteen feet long. 

 He went to the south side of the rock with the dogs. 



