THE ELK. 239 



Hunting the elk. 



latter of which they are so dexterous, that they 

 will kill a dog or even a wolf, with H single blow; 

 and the Indians are generally obliged to lash 

 their knives or bayonets to the end of a long 

 stick, and stab the elk at a distance. Some whp 

 have neglected this precaution, and attempted tq 

 rush in upon them, rjave received very serious 

 blows. When wounded they frequently become, 

 furious, rush boldly on the hunters, and endea- 

 vour to tread them down : in this case the men 

 lire frequently obliged to leave their outer gar- 

 ments to the vengeance of the exasperated ani T 

 jnals, and escape into the trees. 



In hot weather these quadrupeds frequent the 

 jnargins of rivers and lakes, getting into the wa- 

 ter in order to, avoid the prodigious swarms of 

 musquetoes and other flies that pester them dur- 

 jrig that season. They are often killed by the 

 Indians, while they are crossing rivers, or swim- 

 ming from the main land to islands. When 

 pursued in this situation they are the most inof- 

 fensive of all animals, never making any resist- 

 ance: Arid the young ones are so extremely sim- 

 ple, that, in JSorth America, Mr. Hearne saw an, 

 Indian paddle his canoe up to one of them, and 

 take it by the poll without the least opposition ; 

 the poor harmless animal seeming, at the same 

 time, as contented alongside the canoe, as if 

 swimming by the side of its clam, and looking 

 yp in the faces of those who were about to be- 

 ome its murderers with the most unsuspecting 



