290 THE DEER OF AMERICA. 
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sometimes so continuous as to disturb the rest of the keeper's 
family, whose house is little more than a quarter of a mile from 
the Elk Park. This note of rage is sometimes really appalling, 
and, when the animal is half a mile away, sounds as if it were 
right under the window. In the height of the season these revels 
seem to be kept up nearly the whole night, during which the rev- 
elers give the master no peace of his life. Why do not two or 
more form an alliance and attack and whip the master? But 
their philosophy does not reach to that extent, and it is well or- 
dered: that it should not, for should one attack him with vigor 
while he is engaged with another he would be surely killed at 
the first charge, and if such a system were followed up the bucks 
would soon be reduced to two; so we see it is better as it is. Ex- 
cept during the rutting season, in my grounds at least, the Elk 
can hardly be considered a nocturnal animal, though in the wild. 
state, and when surrounded by dangerous enemies, he will seek 
his food at night and ruminate in some secret place during the 
day. 
I never see the bucks chasing the does at speed during the 
rutting season, as is the constant habit with the common deer, for, 
after all, they seem less importunate, and so the does are not 
driven to shun the society of the males before their proper time 
arrives, which is not till some time after the bucks become very 
ardent. If the female Elk desires to get away from the control 
of the master she slips off quietly while his attention is engaged 
in another direction, when she generally resorts to the band of 
younger bucks, who seem to. pay scarcely more attention to her 
than to each other. 
This continual excitement and activity reduces the flesh of the 
old buck so that he always commences the winter poorer than 
any of the others, although at the first of September he was 
fully up to the average in condition, as round and sleek as one 
could wish. During the rut, and while supreme, he is rarely 
seen to feed, but seems to live in a round of excitement and rage. 
He loses flesh pretty rapidly, looks hollow and gaunt, the fire of 
his eye only testifying to his continued vigor, or rather energy, 
for he maintains his sway for a considerable time by his un- 
daunted mien, after his actual strength no longer entitles him 
to the mastery. In this condition he is sometimes attacked by 
another buck nearly equal to him at the best, and is driven from 
the harem with contumely, and sullenly takes his place on the 
outside among the young bucks, when the new sovereign lords it 
