The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-01-05
Riding an Elk.

from Morrison, near the junction ol
Bear Creek and Turkey Greek Can.
yons, and is one of the mightest hum
ters engaged in furnishing game for
the Denver market. His load yes
terday was the best indication of his
skill, 1t consisted OF two large elk,
half dozen deer, mountain lion
and large quantity of smaller game.
II tell yon that elk was whop-
per-" said Mr.. Marden to a Netos re.
porter who was inspecting the load.
''and he gave me such a ride as |
hope never to enjoy again."
"How was that? ?' asked the re-
porter.
"WeIl, you see, it was on Monday,
and | was uD Turkey Greek canyon
on the lookout for game. saw fresh
signs of elk, and 1 climbed up rock,
to take look around. l had to be
awful quiet about it though, SOS not
to skeer the game. The rock / clum
wasn't above 80 feet high. and | cali
kerlated that there wouldn't be much
danger of their getting sight first. l
got up to the top and looked around
long enough to satisfy me that there
wasn't anything in sight. Then /
started to go down the other side. 1t
was very steep on that side, and ]
reached out and caught the limb of
big spruce tree that stood up against
the side of a rock. / hadn't scarcely
more than done this than my feet
slipped from under me and | swung
out'of the rock. My weight was too
much for the limbs L had hold of and
L went down almost as though was
lead, taking the limbs with me, al
though they didn't prove to be ofany
use that | could discover in what hap
pened after. | didn't have much
time to think while going down off
that rock, but / had a strong idea
that was in for some cracked bones,
l didn't strike ground though, and
now, come to think it oyer, l wish |
had. You see that elk with the sew
en- prong horns was hiding under the
rock in the shade of the spruce tree,
and fell square on his shoulders.
Il guess it would be hard to tell
who was skeert the most, me or the
elk. The elk started as though he
was shot and that saved me the trou
BILE of doing anything of the kind, for
he set his head back and brought
them big horns of his right square
down on my legs and held me there
as fast as if Was glued to his back.
The wits seemed skeert out of that
elk. He didn't seem to care where
he went or where 1 wanted him to
go. Turkey Creek Caryon seemed
to please him very we'll for a little
while. or until some dogs got after
him. He didn't seem to appear to
have any regard for his safety, and
seemed only looking for dangerous
places to run along. wasn't afraid
for the elk, but when at times he
skirted along the edges of preeipices,
where the fall would be anywhere
from 300 to 500 feet, / was somewhat
afraid that the consarned elk would
loosen the grip of his horns on my
legs. Once when he was tearing
along the edge of gorge where 1
could look down rs l hung over and
see my face IN the creek fully 500
feet below me, l thought 1 could feel
the grip of his horn relaxing on my
left leg, and l thought that it wa, all
up with me. But he held on and in
few minutes he was tearing through
the trees. That's where 1 got scratch
ed up this way. l suppose that
would have been knocked to pieces
only for the way them big horns lay
over me.
"When we got to the head of the
canyon the elk seemed to think that
he hadn't had enough of the fun. and
wheeled around and started down the
other side"
"Why didn't you try to cut his
throat ?'
II might have tried to, and did
reach for my knife, but l had lost it
in the fall. or rather lust after we
started on the run. We went down
the canyon again, about as fast as we
came up it, the elk caring no more
for my safi ty than if we had just got
acquainted, seemed to have known
him for twenty years, and wouldn't
have had that elk to go over one OF
the rocks for Colorado. didn't much
mind being scraped up in this way or
having my clothes torn to shreds,
provided the elk would keep away
from the edges"
"Do you think that your nervous
ness on this point was ocrasioned by
the fall which had led to your strange
ride 2"
"Well hardly"
."How far did you run ?"
! 81 didn't run at all. The elk did