xxiv THE WAPITI 385 



We advanced along the hollow of the river's bed until we were 

 within 200 yards from the spot where the deer were standing. 

 Occasionally we took a cautious peep above the bank to see 

 whether they had moved. I now left my hunter lying down, with 

 his head just above the bank to watch, while I waded down the 

 centre of the stream, in the endeavour to reach a bend, which would 

 bring me within 100 yards. 



The water was about knee-deep. I was progressing well, when 

 to my astonishment I heard a shot. With considerable difficulty I 

 clambered up the steep side of the bank, which rose 12 or 14 feet 

 above the river on my right. There was a lovely sight ; several 

 hundred wapiti had crossed the stream about 200 yards ahead of 

 my position, and were ascending the grass slope, struggling in a 

 line of dense brown upon the yellow surface, making a rapid retreat 

 across the hills upon my left. This large herd must have been 

 lying down in the hollow unseen by us, owing to the rocks and 

 rough nature of the broken ground. It appeared, from the descrip- 

 tion given by my hunter, that shortly after I had left him to 

 watch the hind, a stag had risen from the bushes in the neigh- 

 bourhood, and the two had commenced a movement down the 

 valley. As he knew that I must be unaware of the change, being 

 far below the point of view, in the deep hollow of the river, he 

 took a shot at the retreating stag. The report of his rifle immedi- 

 ately startled a great herd of these splendid deer that had been 

 lying concealed somewhere in the valley, close to the borders of 

 the stream, where there was a regular passage for wild animals. 

 They had dashed across the shallow ford, and I had nothing to do 

 but to abuse my companion for having fired the shot. There must 

 have been three or four hundred deer in this herd, many of which 

 carried superb heads. If my man had kept quiet, I should most 

 certainly have obtained a splendid chance ; as it had happened, I 

 could only admire the sight of these grand animals in rapid move- 

 ment ascending the open slope until they at length reached the 

 summit, and having crossed the sky-line they were lost to view. 



I have no doubt that this fine herd travelled direct, and did 

 not return to the Big Horn range during the remainder of the 

 autumn season. Having crossed the shoulder of the mountains, 

 they had a straight course down hill for 7 or 8 miles, and then a 

 wild and uninhabited district for 60 or 70 miles towards the main 

 range of the Eocky Mountains. From the direction they took, I 

 feel confident this was the case, and their departure from our 

 range was highly instructive, showing the direct effect of disturb- 

 ance in driving wild animals away from a particular district. If 



2 c 



