SPORT AND TRAVEL 209 



Two days later, on October 6, I again went out 

 by myself, the way I really prefer to hunt in the 

 Rocky Mountains, as noiselessness is everything 

 there, and one man makes less noise than two. As 

 the wapiti and deer always seemed to be high up, 

 I ascended first of all to near the edge of timber line ; 

 but not getting any tracks in the now fast disappear- 

 ing snow, crossed over a divide, and then followed 

 the course of a thickly timbered ravine, that I knew 

 would lead me into the main valley of the Stinking 

 Water, not many miles below our camp. About 

 two o'clock I got the fresh track of a wapiti bull 

 and followed it a long way, but had at last to give 

 it up and strike for camp. It was just getting dusk 

 when I reached a wooded hill just above the path 

 which I knew led up the valley of the Stinking 

 Water to our camp about four miles distant. Hav- 

 ing been walking arid climbing since early in the 

 morning, I was rather tired, and being so low down 

 (comparatively) had abandoned all further hope of 

 seeing game. However, as I was walking quickly 

 along through the pine-trees, carrying my rifle over 

 my left shoulder, and swinging my hat in my right 

 hand, I suddenly came face to face with a wapiti 

 bull. He was standing amongst some thickish timber 

 looking straight at me. On seeing him I stopped, 

 at the same instant dropping my hat and swinging 

 my rifle off my shoulder; but even as I did so the 

 wapiti swung round and immediately disappeared 



