'mi-: UUl'KV .MOINTAINS 113 



alrctuly close to the top, and in ;i few minutes it woiilil lie 

 all over, for li(> would (■(nnc Iroin hfliiiul on iJiek, wlioni I 

 could still hear cliL'erl'ully tootling above. A I whatever 

 cost of skill and shin I had to o'et back to him lirst, for 

 the elk would surely detect the s]nu'ious sound as soon as 

 he came to close (juarters. How i did pound up that 

 eliti"! I came do\\n it on a pretty straight course, but I 

 went up again sti'aiuliter. As soon as T r-nmo witln'n siiilit 

 of Dick 1 commanded hini in a whispered shout to "stop 

 that whistling," and then drew out to a more open spot to 

 receive the monarch. I was onl\' just in time. He was 

 already approaching, and in the same cautious way as the 

 da\' before, advancing a few steps and then ])ausing to 

 listen. He was alreadv within a hundred \'ards when i 

 cauo-ht sio-lit of him. 1 was readv to take the first chance, 

 for I didn't mean him to show me his tail again if I could 

 helj) it. l)Ut that rush upstairs had set ni\' heart a-thump- 

 ing, and the muzzle of my I'ifle oscillated like a piunp 

 handle. Under such circumstances, a bullet is very fond 

 of the open air. At last he stood rigid, with every sense 

 on the alert, and I'airl}' showing his shoulder between two 

 trees. As often happens with elk, lie did not seem to 

 flinch to the shot, but T knew it was well ])lanted. He 

 stood for S(mie seconds without movino-, then his legs 

 trembled, and down he came, drivinsi' his oreat brow 

 antlers into the ground. 1 may fairly say that I got him 

 with a penny whistle, and 1 strongly recommend an\' one 

 o-oin2: to the haunts of the wapiti to arm themselves with 

 at least one lure of the same kind. 



The same day Gerald secured a remaikaljle head. It 

 had no brow antlers to speak of, but the hoiais were spread 



I 



