SPORT AND TRAVEL 225 



amongst the pine-trees on the farther side of the ra- 

 vine. The whole herd of wapiti had only been about 

 a hundred yards in front of the mule deer, in whose 

 company the spike bull, curiously enough, had re- 

 mained behind all by himself. 



On being disturbed by the shot, the wapiti com- 

 menced climbing straight up the mountain, through 

 such thick-growing timber that I could only get oc- 

 casional glimpses of them, and for some time I could 

 not see anything but cows. Presently, however, I 

 caught sight of the horns of a bull bringing up the 

 rear of the herd, and keeping my eyes on him saw 

 him halt. He was then just within the edge of a 

 rather thick patch of timber, but he soon walked out 

 into a more open place and stood looking back into 

 the ravine below him. He was now broadside to 

 me, and I judged him to be between two hundred 

 and three hundred yards distant. I was already sit- 

 ting down in position for a shot, so putting up the 

 second sight and taking rather full, I fired as quickly 

 as possible, and heard the bullet tell, as the great stag, 

 plunging forwards, disappeared amongst the pine-trees. 

 I had hardly got another cartridge into my rifle when 

 I saw another stag climbing upwards amongst the 

 trees, and the glimpses I had of him made me think 

 he carried a finer head than the one I had just 

 wounded, but I could n't get a shot at him, and he 

 soon became entirely lost to view. The unfortunate 

 spike bull, let me here say, had only run about fifty 



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