VEILS PID) SS) «(Cas unisee 
195 105 
In a pine forest, 9 miles from a house, 
is the timber (claim and) log ‘cabin ot 
John Isted. I arrived at his place on No- 
vember 6th to spend a few days in hunting 
deer. To my disappointment, I found 
listed suffering irom) tieumatism. I= re- 
gretted his condition ~~ much as he did, for 
I had expected him to act as my hunting 
companion. Although his indisposition 
deprived me of his services as a guide, it 
did not prevent him from talking, and I 
H. 
Five days had passed, and during that 
time I had seen neither “the elk” nor any 
other deer. Signs and tracks were plenti- 
ful; deer were fairly numerous; but they 
all managed to evade my scrutiny. When 
I would return to camp at evening, and re- 
jate my ill success, [sted would laugh 
good-naturedly and offer some plausible 
excuse for my failures. After supper he 
would relate some thrilling adventure with 
a bear or bull moose, which would revive 

PHOTO BY DR, W, S« HURD. 
THE BIG BUCK OR SPINE Sw aice: 
greatly enjoyed: my visit with him. He 
had spent over 30 years on the frontier. 
and had hunted bear, moose, caribou, and 
deer. 
I hunted alone. My host gave me such 
information and assistance as he could. 
He told me where to find good runways, 
and how best to hunt the game I was af- 
ter. He even cautioned me not to waste 
my time in following the track of a cer- 
tain old buck that had made his home in 
that vicinity for several years. Said he: 
“T’ve seen him several times at close range, 
but never when I happened to have my 
rifle handy. He’s a big fellow, his neck and 
hind quarters are unusuallylarge and I call 
him ‘the elk’, he makes a peculiar track— 
the outside claw of his left hind foot being 
the longest. No use of following him, for 
he’s a mighty knowin’ critter.” 
my enthusiasm for the chase, and the next 
morning I would again start out deter- 
mined to kill a deer. 
On the morning of the 6th day my luck 
changed, for within % mile of the cabin, I 
caught sight of a magnificent buck, walk- 
ing leisurely along, apparently unconscious 
of my presence. This lordly creature had 
emerged from a thicket near a swamp. 
and was headedtowardahigh ridge, dense- 
ly covered with towering pines. The wind 
was favorable, and if the buck did not 
change his course he would pass for a 
short distance through fairly open timber, 
and within a few rods of where I was 
standing. Through the openings between 
the trees I occasionally caught sight of 
the deer, but he was coming nearer, so I 
waited. The suspense, however, was be- 
coming almost unendurable, and I felt I 

yortd. ; 

