i66 RECREATION. 



from 25 to 300 in a bunch ; but they into the timber until we caught sight 



were off several hundred yards and of the other bull. Jack slid off and 



we knew we could kill plenty right shot him. We dressed him, and took 



along the trail before we made the about 30 pounds of tallow out of him. 



round trip, so we did not go after Jack threw the hide over his saddle, 



them. and we went back to skin the bull I 



And now fellows, now comes the had killed. I took the lead, right 



thing that has puzzled and bothered back to the edge of the park, but 



old Ed. from that day to this. I was when we got there we couldn't see 



in the lead, and we were riding any dead elk ! "That's funny," I 



through heavy pine timber. About said, and I walked right up to the 



100 yards ahead of us was a little place where he fell, and there was 



opening or park of about three acres, the blood. 



As we neared it we heard a bull elk Now, I'll say right here, that in 



whistle. We stopped, and again he this park the ground was very soft 



whistled ; coming right toward us and loamy ; and there had been a 



from the other side of the park. heavy shower the night before. A 



" Jack," said I, " I'll drop out of the fox couldn't pass through the open- 

 saddle, and when the old fellow comes ing without leaving a clean track, 

 out into the park I'll down him." This big bull was the only one which 



Pretty soon the old fellow walked had been in that park since the 



out. I let him get in the middle of shower, and his tracks were just as 



the little park, when he stopped and plain as could be, from the edge of 



let out a snort, turned broad-side to the timber up to where he fell, a dist- 



me and blew his whistle again. Then ance of about 50 yards. There was 



again he turned his head in the air the blood and the print of the elk's 



for an instant as if he scented danger, body where he had fallen, and that 



Fellows, he was a prince among elk was all. That settled it. 



— one of the largest I ever saw. Boys, that bull elk never made 



I found he was about to go, so. I another track after he struck the 



raised " old meat in the pot " till my ground. I looked around at Jack, 



eye touched the line of sights, and and he looked at me. I said : 



sent a 50-caliber ball into him, close "Jack, what in the name of God 



to the heart. He dropped his head does this mean ? " 



and shook like a leaf . He swayed for He never spoke, but looked at the 



a moment like a- drunken man, then ground ; then walked in a circle clear 



threw his head high in the air and around where the elk had lain. We 



blew the most mournful whistle I both made this circle ; not only once, 



ever heard. I shall never forget the but many times. Every time our feet 



effect it had on me. It seemed to touched the ground they left plain 



chill the blood in my veins. He ran tracks. Jack looked up in the trees, 



backward three or four steps, and Then he turned to me and said : 



then pitched over dead. We went " Ed., does elks ever fly ? " 



up to him, and Jack was looking at " Only on four legs," I said, 



the bullet hole behind the foreleg. "Ed., do you remember that mourn- 



He said, "You shot him through ful whistle he made when you shot 



the heart, or close to it." him ?" 



I had just cut through his hide and I did not answer, but I felt the 



into the neck far enough to start the blood again freeze in my veins. I 



blood, when we heard another bull started for my horse — so did Jack — ■ 



whistle, about 200 yards from us in and we both struck for camp, 



the timber. Neither of us spoke until we arrived 



"Jack," I said, "let's get that fel- there. 



low while he is close by." Boys, I never was superstitious ; 



We mounted and left the dead and as for Teton Jack, he wasn't 



elk — for he was stone dead — and rode afraid of the devil nor of all his imps ; 



