180 THE WILDERNESS HUNTER. 



beasts faced each other with lowered horns, 

 the manes that covered their thick necks, and 

 the hair on their shoulders, bristling and erect. 

 Then they charged furiously, the crash of the 

 meeting antlers resounding through the valley. 

 The shock threw them both on their haunches ; 

 with locked horns and glaring eyes they strove 

 against each other, getting their hind legs 

 well under them, straining every muscle in 

 their huge bodies, and squealing savagely. 

 They were evenly matched in weight, strength, 

 and courage ; and push as they might, neither 

 got the upper hand, first one yielding a few 

 inches, then the other, while they swayed to 

 and fro in their struggles, smashing the bushes 

 and ploughing up the soil. 



Finally they separated and stood some little 

 distance apart, under the great pines ; their 

 sides heaving, and columns of steam rising 

 from their nostrils through the frosty air of 

 the brightening morning. Again they rushed 

 together with a crash, and each strove mightily 

 to overthrow the other, or get past his guard ; 

 but the branching antlers caught every vicious 

 lunge and thrust. This set-to was stopped 

 rather curiously. One of the onlooking elk 

 was a yearling ; the other, though scarcely as 

 heavy-bodied as either of the fighters, had a 

 finer head. He was evidently much excited 

 by the battle, and he now began to walk to- 

 wards the two combatants, nodding his head 

 and uttering a queer, whistling noise. They 

 dared not leave their flanks uncovered to his 

 assault ; and as he approached they promptly 

 separated, and walked off side by side a few 

 yards apart. In a moment, however, one 



