XXIV 
THE WAPITI 
259 
we had expected to obtain a view of the still hidden 
game. 
There was a glorious sight; three immense stags, 
about 150 yards upon our right, were feeding in a 
direction that, if continued, would bring them across 
our position within 80 or 90 yards. The wind was 
favourable ; we therefore watched. 
One of these stags had stupendous horns, and 
as they slowly approached, I counted with my 
glass fourteen points. The others had twelve each. 
I was determined to possess that grand head. 
They had now fed to within a distance of about 
no paces of our position, and the intervening 
ground was open. If I waited until they should be 
exactly opposite, they would be much nearer, but 
they would pass behind a clump of large spruce 
firs, which might almost obscure them. I could 
make quite certain of the shot at no yards, but I 
enjoyed the sport of waiting and watching, there¬ 
fore I determined to let them cross exactly in 
front of my position before I would take the 
shot. 
In a very short time they arrived upon the other 
side of the trees, and I at once saw the difficulty. 
However, I determined to be very careful in my 
aim, and to select the largest head. Somehow or 
other they appeared suddenly to get the wind of 
danger. Whether they smelt the horses I cannot 
say, but certainly they could not have winded us ; 
they looked up, and around, and trotted past the 
clump. I immediately fired at the shoulder of the 
