WITH CARL OF THE HILL ii 



quaint old-world appearance, he seems wonderfully 

 fitted to his actual surroundings, as indeed every 

 wild animal always does. Born of the forest, it is 

 his beyond all challenge : his cradle, his birthright, 

 his realm. So there he stands in the majesty of 

 his size and strength, lowering at intervals a scornful 

 head to meet the feints and shiftings of his tireless 

 foes. Lightly flows the tinkling streamlet by moss 

 and boulder down to his feet ; and away behind 

 him stretches the narrow glen in yellow of aspen, 

 and scarlet of maple, and sombre background of 

 the mournful pine. A beautiful sight indeed, one 

 to linger over and to dream about. But we are 

 here not to look at pictures but to get the winter's 

 food. So the elk must fall, and fall he does, but 

 not before he has travelled halfway up the glen 

 with a ball in the shoulder and a second in the i 

 withers, and then, receiving Carl's big bullet behind 

 the ear, he pitches head first against a boulder and ^ 

 so he lies. 



** Now," said Carl, " we must gralloch this animal, 

 then make our way back as well as we can, and 

 to-morrow we will bring the sleigh." No sooner 

 were the words out of his mouth than the same . 

 thought struck us both. For there was a rumour 



A*«.*r^ 



