The Wapiti, or Round-horned Elk 



I did not have long to wait. In a 

 couple of minutes the bugle of a bull came 

 echoing across the basin through the 

 frosty morning. Evidently my friend 

 was still travelling, hunting for some 

 possibly weaker rival. Almost imme- 

 diately I heard far off another answering 

 the challenge, and I stood up and medi- 

 tated what to do. There was very little 

 air, but such as there was blew to one 

 side of the spot from which the last chal- 

 lenge seemed to come, and I immediately 

 struck off at a trot through the woods to 

 get below the wind. 



The answer to the challenge had evi- 

 dently greatly excited the bull whose 

 trail I had been following ; he called every 

 two or three minutes. The other answer 

 was somewhat more irregular, and as I 

 drew nearer I could tell from the volume 

 of sound that the second challenge was 

 from some big master-bull, who probably 

 21 



