34 RUSTLINGS IN THE ROCKIES. 



they separated, about five or six going on each side of me, 

 and so close that had the weather been clear I could almost 

 have counted their eye-winkers. Finally, I caught a glimpse 

 of a small patch of red hair through the fog and leaves, and 

 sent a bullet into it ; then another and another. Then all 

 was oblivion again, so far as sight was concerned, but I could 

 hear them thumping and crashing against trees and bushes, 

 their hoofs clattering over the rocks in their mad flight, and 

 Forest yelling at me to " Give it to 'em." I went to where 

 they were when I fired, and found a fine large fat cow elk 

 dead, with two holes through her, one through the hips and 

 one through the lungs. She had presented herself at two 

 openings as she ran and had got a double dose. The third 

 shot was carried away by a joung bull. I saw him dash 

 through a rift in the fog within twenty feet of me with blood 

 running from a wound high up in his side, over the paunch. 



While I was admiring my prize I heard Sawyer's Express 

 belching forth her compliments to the wapiti, and making 

 the rock-ribbed hills echo with her musical voice ; one, two, 

 in quick succession, followed by the three shouts that we had 

 agreed should call the party together. On repairing to him, 

 I found he had a fine yearling heifer down within fifty yards 

 of my cow. We scoured the woods awhile in search of the 

 others, but they had lit out for tall timber. We tried to trail 

 the wounded bull, but the undergrowth was so thick and he 

 had left so little blood, that we were forced to give up the 

 task. 



For the past two hours it had been raining ; one of those 

 quiet, modest, unassuming rains that follow a damp, foggy 

 morning ; one of those rains that does not make any un- 

 necessary noise, but which means business, as the Dutchman 

 says " fon the verd git," and we were wet to the skin ; yes, 

 almost to the bone. We returned and took the entrails out 



