SPORT AND TRAVEL 243 



creek and a steep rocky gorge running into it at right 

 angles. We did not follow the wapiti's tracks into 

 this piece of dense pine wood, but skirted it, until we 

 reached the edge of the gorge I have spoken of above. 

 A glance then showed us that no deer could have got 

 down the almost precipitous sides of this gorge, and 

 as we had not crossed a wapiti's track coming out 

 of the timber and going higher up the mountain- 

 side, it was evident our game was in the patch of 

 forest below us, for a sheer precipice cut off its de- 

 scent to the main creek. To escape from its present 

 position, it would have to go back again the way it 

 had come down the creek, or come up the moun- 

 tain-side. As it had already been once stopped 

 by the precipitous nature of the country at the 

 waterfall, I thought it would adopt the latter course, 

 and therefore took up a position as quickly as possible 

 from which I was able to command the hillside above 

 the cover. Then Graham went and took up the 

 tracks again. I expect the cunning old stag had 

 already either heard or seen us, but feeling himself 

 to be more or less cornered, was waiting in the cover 

 to see what we were going to do. Graham never 

 saw or heard him, and he did not come past me, but 

 slipped off back down the creek again so quietly 

 that if I had not just caught a glimpse of him go- 

 ing at a trot amongst the trees, we should not have 

 known what he had done until we had learned it from 

 his tracks in the snow. Shouting to Graham, I now 



