THE WAPITI 359 



and the white patch on the hindquarters is edged with 

 black. 



A fight between two male Wapitis is one of the sternest 

 struggles imaginable. When an animal intends to dis- 

 pute the supremacy of the leader of a herd he gives 

 vent to a loud whistle of defiance, which is promptly 

 answered by a similar cry of the angry leader, and the 

 animals meet with a clash of the antlers that can be 

 heard for a considerable distance. Bellowing and grinding 

 their teeth, with lowered heads they stalk round each 

 other, advancing, retreating, and feinting until there is 

 an opening for a charge. Even in the mildest contest 

 ugly wounds are given and antlers are frequently broken. 

 Sometimes, too, the antlers of the enraged animals inter- 

 lock, and both combatants perish miserably of hunger, or 

 become the easy prey of the bear, coyote, or other 

 beast of prey. 



The hind in defence of her fawn exhibits the utmost 

 courage, offering a stout resistance to hungry carnivores, 

 while she utters a loud cry which summons to her 

 assistance all of the herd in the near vicinity, and then 

 all join furiously in beating off the foe. The young 

 fawn, when discovered in the thicket where the hind has 

 hidden it, will feign death with limbs as limp as possible, 

 only forgetting to close its eyes to complete the illusion. 



The flesh of the Wapiti is said to be perhaps more 

 nutritious than that of any other Deer ; and its skin 

 makes the most valuable leather, preserving its suppleness 

 even after being saturated with water, on which account 

 it is always prized by the native Indians. The red 

 man hunts the Wapiti by forming a cordon of mounted 

 men around a herd, detaching selected animals and then 

 riding them down to a standstill ; or sometimes a whole 

 herd would be driven over a precipice. In more modern 

 times, however, the rifle is most frequently employed, for 

 the Wapiti is by no means difficult to approach, and a 

 shot in any part of the body is usually sufficient to lay 

 the big animal low. The Indians not infrequently keep 

 the animal in captivity, using it as a beast of burden and 

 for draught purposes. 



