262 
WILD BEASTS AND THEIR WA YS 
CHAP. 
beneath the skin, expanded like a half-matured 
mushroom. This was pure lead. 
No other bullet had touched that stag, and my 
first shot had been intercepted by the trunk of one 
of the numerous trees which had intervened between 
me and the animal when I fired. 
This wapiti had the finest antlers that I have 
ever possessed, and the freak of nature had added 
two peculiar tines, which must have plagued the 
unfortunate proprietor. These turned in the reverse 
direction, therefore they must have acted like a 
grapnel in catching the branches of trees, when 
otherwise they would have been avoided in the usual 
manner, as the stag throws its head backwards, and 
elevates the nose in passing through a forest. 
Although the horns were perfectly clean and hard 
(29th August 1881), the extremity of one of the extra 
tines was round, instead of pointed ; it was bloody 
at the tip, as a chronic inflammation had been set 
up through continual friction, and it had never 
thoroughly matured. We were powerless to do 
anything with this grand animal ; we accordingly 
left it, until we could send men and mules from 
camp. Upon the following day, when we arrived, 
a party of bears had scratched a hole, and attempted 
to roll the wapiti into it. This was a glaring 
failure, as the animal was not half concealed. The 
bears had eaten all the inner portion, which we had 
laid upon one side ; they had also eaten the soft 
extremities of the ribs, and brisket; but, beyond a 
quantity of grass and earth roughly thrown upon 
