THE LAST HUNT. 293 



they returned to camp, using strange words about 

 "that consarned little owl." 



Beturning to Camp Grand View next day, Dyche 

 found that everyone had reached the conclusion that 

 it would be well to leave the place, and several days 

 were spent in travelling and searching for a more 

 suitable spot. Darkness compelled them to stop one 

 night on a high point on the mountains, where the 

 wind blew a perfect gale. The judge gave it the 

 name of Camp Windy Point. A few days were 

 spent here, and Jim made a short expedition and re- 

 ported that he had fired at a large bull elk but had 

 not drawn blood. Next day the doctor and the judge 

 went out on horseback while Jim and Dyche went 

 together on foot. Jim showed where he had seen the 

 elk, but there were no signs of a wounded animal. 

 The trail was followed some distance and then it was 

 decided to return to camp. 



After travelling awhile Dyche sat down for a short 

 rest at the edge of a grassy park. The bugle-call of 

 an elk off in the woods aroused him, and soon he 

 heard a response in an opposite direction. This 

 bugle-call of the elk is perhaps the most peculiar 

 sound emitted by an animal. The elk starts off with 

 a noise similar to that of the squeaking of an old barn 

 door, and this harsh noise is followed by a bawl as of 

 a cow. This develops into the bray of a mule and 

 winds up with a peculiar, clear bugle note or call, 

 which rings fuh 1 and free through the woods. It is 

 a sound which never fails to excite hunters and set 

 their blood to bounding. The naturalist and Jim 

 were just preparing to begin a stalk when an elk 



