58 NATURALISTS CABINET. 



Hunting the elk. 



some have been seen that weighed upwards of 

 sixty pounds. 



The legs of these quadrupeds are so long, and 

 their necks so disproportionally short, that they 

 cannot graze on level ground, like other animals, 

 but are obliged to brouze the tops of large plants, 

 and the leaves or branches of trees. 



The pace of the elk is a high shambling trot j 

 and all its actions and attitudes appear very 

 uncouth. In walking they lift their feet very 

 hjgh, and are able, without any difficulty, to step 

 over a gate five feet in height. The acuteness 

 of their hearing renders it very difficult to kill 

 them in the summer time, and the Indians have 

 then no other method of doing it, but by creep- 

 ing after them among the trees aj}d bushes, till 

 they get within gun-shot. Jn winter, when the 

 snow is so hard frozen that the natives can go 

 upon it in their snow-shoes, they are able fre- 

 quently to run them down; for they are very 

 tender-footed and short-winded, and their slender 

 legs break through the snow at every step, and 

 plunge them up to the belly. Sometimes, how- 

 ever, the hunters have been kept in chase for 

 two days. On these occasions the Indians take 

 with them nothing more than a knife ov bayonet, 

 and a little bag containing implements for light- 

 ing a fire. When the animals are incapable of 

 further speed, they stand and keep their pursuer*, 

 at bay with their head and fore-feet; with thu 



