366 
WILD BLASTS AND THEIR WAYS 
CHAP. 
I ran forward towards the spot, and within 15 
paces of me I saw a wapiti stag caught by the horns ; 
these were completely entangled among the stems 
of the thickly growing trees, and the splendid beast 
was taken prisoner. I could only see occasionally 
a portion of the horns, and then, as it struggled to 
escape, I caught sight for a moment of a head and 
neck sufficient to prove that it was a very splendid 
beast, with beautiful spreading antlers. The animal 
was almost within my grasp, and I could have shot 
it with a pistol; but my good resolutions stood firm ; 
I refused the shot, as we had meat of the finest 
quality that would keep for a week, and to kill 
another wapiti would be mere waste of life. In a 
couple of minutes occupied with this humane 
reflection, yet sorely tempted to take the shot, the 
stag broke loose, and I heard it crashing full speed 
down the ravine, and my men shouting loudly that 
I should “ look out! ” 
Hardly two minutes elapsed before I saw, at 
about 300 yards’ distance, the most magnificent stag 
that I have ever seen. This splendid beast issued 
from the ravine, and exhibited a pair of antlers that, 
large as the animal was, appeared quite dispro- 
portioned to its size. They resembled the wintry 
appearance of a large branch from an oak tree, and 
this was the prize which I could not distinctly see 
when entangled in the cotton-wood, within my 
grasp. This noble stag descended the mountain 
side at full speed, and I watched it with longing eyes 
until it was completely out of sight, fully determined 
