ELK HUNTING 



rapid hoof strokes as the stag galloped over the sandy shal- 

 low, past the other seizers, and through the now scattered 

 pack as they opened to let his majesty go by. Here along 

 the right bank the patna falls in easy slopes to the river, 

 making galloping easy to the hunted stag. Taking advan- 

 tage of this, and knowing every pool and ford in the stream, 

 he made his best pace for the Slab Rock Falls. These falls, 

 divided transversely into two, form a broad ledge of rock 

 right across the stream, studded with small pools and narrow 

 runs, and a deep pool of some size and depth into which, 

 from a height of about 20 feet, more than half the river 

 falls. Here our grand old fighting stag took up his stand, 

 destined to be his last one. With his back to the wall of 

 rock, almost hidden, except for his noble antlered head, by 

 the volume of water that fell over and around him, he again 

 faced his pursuers. 



It had been a sharp burst of nearly half a mile, all up 

 hill, so that the field was somewhat demoralised by the time 

 the bay was reached. But there we all were, with the stag 

 holding his own gallantly in the face of a strong pack of 

 hounds and i\ couple of good seizers. From behind he 

 was unassailable, though one or two cunning hounds, running 

 round, tried from above the fall to reach him ; but these, 

 venturing too close to the edge, lost foothold on the slippery 

 rock and were carried down into the pool beside the stag, 

 who promptly pounded them for their interference. It was 

 a splendid bay and a magnificent fight, but the odds were 

 too many for our noble quarry. As he dashed forward to 

 pound the seizers facing him, a quick thrust of a hunting- 

 knife reached his side, and in a moment there was a mingled 

 and struggling mass in the deep, cold pool of baying hounds, 

 a dying stag, and a half-drowned hunter. It was soon 

 over, and with the aid of a helping hand or two the active 



