TlIK ELK 179 



Then tlu'V raii_L:,('(l al)()Ul while we walked steadily on, only 

 occa.sioiiallv oatchiiic!: a o-limiiso of thorn. Notliinfi; was 

 seen in the niornino-, and at eleven we settlrd in a liroken- 

 dowti hav-luit for tlie Ions/ mid-(lav halt, made a lii'c. and 

 tried to dry our wet clothes. Ft is (jnite as important for 

 the loose hiuind Iiuntcr to lie l)y for the mid-day liours as 

 in ilif more stcaltlix- ini^tliod of still huntino- hecanse — so 

 they say — it" an elk is started from his couch he will not he 

 bayed, in the afternoon we kept ah)ng a ridge, while the 

 doo's hunted the hirch wood below. Then we heard tliem 

 find, but indistinctlv, and after an excitino- five minutes of 

 intent listenins:-, we made a circuit of the wood and found 

 by the tracks thai the dogs had run an elk down to the 

 river, whicii lie had crossed. They returned to us, as these 

 (h^gs would not cross a heavy stream unless encouraged by 

 their master. 



Close to the haydiut, where we had been lying for 

 three hours, strange to say we found again, this time a 

 solitary ox. He also went down to the river, we after him, 

 as hard as we could run. Just before he reached it T 

 caught an inspiriting sight of him, with the dogs at his 

 heels, but too far olf tbr a sliot. Across the intervening 

 Imi"- he lodkcd as l)iL;aiid as black as an clcithant. As soon 

 as he crossed the river the dogs returned to us, and 1 

 thought it was all over, but just then I saw him again 

 beyond the river, crossing another opening three or four 

 hundred yards off. As it seemed to be my last chance 1 

 sat down, and aiming well over his shoulder, tried the shot. 

 but the bullet struck under him. Now at any rate he would 

 make tracks, but, on tlie bare chance, wi' waded the riv^cr, 

 and laid the dogs vn again. To my .-urprise they quickly 



