224 SPORTING ADVENTURES 



CHAPTER IX. 



THE ELK OR WAPITI. 



The wapiti Its range, haunts, habits, and gaits Fierce contests between 

 the males How they may be detected by the "shaking" Courage of 

 the elk Two men charged by a couple in Oregon The escape Novel 

 mode of killing it in the North-west -Thousands never saw man 

 When started said not to stop until it crosses water How herds run 

 when in flight Their speed and endurance The elk as a roadster and 

 saddle animal Hide-hunters Great slaughter of the animal Why 

 hinds lead the columns How to hunt it successfully in the forest and 

 on the plains Dr. Carver's great feat The best weapons How to 

 shoot on horseback The most exciting run lever had alter it Bagging 

 a stag Pursuit of a hind, and why she was captured Escape of a 

 fawn Surprised by Indians The assembly Our plans and stratagems 

 A running fight Loss of the Indians Find refuge in a chasm 

 Death of one of our men He is mutilated and burned to death Our 

 retreat Sutler from hunger Loss of our camp and escape of the camp 

 guard Where we found safety A scalp dance Unusual abundance of 

 large game We kill sixty elks in Colorado Lassoing fawns Visions 

 of the sport. 



THE so-called elk, or wapiti, (Cerrus canadensis] is found in 

 every grand division of the region west of the Rocky Mountains, 

 its range extending 1 from California in the south, to British 

 America in the north, but it is most numerous between the 

 parallels of thirty-eight and fifty-two, where, in many instances, 

 it was formerly seen in herds numbering from fifty to five thou- 

 sand. It is more abundant in the Coast Range, where it passes 

 through Oregon and Washington Territory, than in any other 

 section, so far as I could learn; yet, it is also common in the 

 wooded portions of Northern California, Idaho, Montana, Utah, 

 Wyoming, Dakotah, British Columbia, and in the beautiful and 

 extensive natural parks of Colorado. Being exceedingly grega- 

 rious in habit, where one is found there are sure to be others; and 

 in many places they spread over the country like small herds of 

 domestic cattle. This antlered monarch of the forest stands about 



