EARLY DAY STORIES. 109 



in the tall grass, and others on the knolls where they could 

 watch for enemies. My cap had been trimmed with grass, 

 and my hunting jacket of brown denim was dead grass color. 

 Carefully I crawled to the top of the little knoll that had 

 afforded shelter, poked the rifle barrel through the scattered 

 stalks of grass in front, reached forward with the left hand 

 to remove some grass leaves from between the sights, then 

 took a peep along the gun barrel to see that everything 

 was clear . This was a very interesting and a very exciting 

 moment, but everything had to be done with great delibera- 

 tion, for a quick movement would alarm a large cow elk 

 that was lying on top of a little knoll not more than seventy- 

 five steps away, and was looking right towards me, but 

 whether she had seen me or not I could not tell. Every- 

 thing was ready — I was sure of that elk. The sight was 

 quickly caught, the trigger pulled, and I saw the hair curl 

 on the breast of the elk where the bullet struck, and heard 

 the "thud" of the ball as it went home. The elk sprang to 

 her feet and was off in an instant with the balance of the 

 herd, but I knew she could not go far. I did not stop to 

 watch — I knew from the lay of the land and the direction 

 of the wind just where the herd would run, and throwing 

 in another cartridge I ran south a short distance, gaining 

 the top of a low ridge just in time to see the elk fiHng by 

 in the narrow valley before me. They were still very close, 

 and two more shots in quick succession brought down two 

 more elk. The one hit at the first shot had now left the 

 others, and going a few steps to one side had partly fallen 

 and partly lain down. A shot through the head soon after 

 finished her. A parting shot was given the herd when they 

 were some distance away and another elk was slightly 

 wounded, but as it kept up with the herd and bled very little 

 I followed only a short distance. By the time the three elk 

 were dressed, which in itself was quite a job, it was night 

 and I was four miles from camp. 



