2i8 HUNTING TRIPS 



which had toppled over until its upper 

 branches struck in the limb crotch of another, 

 that thus supported it at an angle half-way 

 in its fall. When above the ground far 

 enough to prevent the bear's smelling us, 

 we sat still to wait for his approach ; until, 

 in the gathering gloom, we could no longer 

 see the sights of our rifles, and could but 

 dimly make out the carcass of the great elk. 

 It was useless to wait longer ; and we clam- 

 bered down and stole out to the edge of the 

 woods. The forest here covered one side 

 of a steep, almost canyon-like ravine, whose 

 other side was bare except of rock and sage- 

 brush. Once out from under the trees there 

 was still plenty of light, although the sun 

 had set, and we crossed over some fifty yards 

 to the opposite hill-side, and crouched down 

 under a bush to see if perchance some ani- 

 mal might not also leave the cover. To our 

 right the ravine sloped downward toward the 

 valley of the Bighorn River, and far on its 

 other side we could catch a glimpse of the 

 great main chain of the Rockies, their 



