Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1894-04-28
FOLLOWING THE ELK.
HUNTING THE AhTLEnED MONARCH
ls TIE ROCKY MOUNTAINS.


is<nt sishs--A Case ef Hack Axss-fAs
Bail Ellis :. tho Resuit u the RAid.
aHist - said the guide, suddenly sitting
bolt upright In bis blanket. He, the ten
aerfuot and the second guide all Iistened
intenfiy, and there fell softly from some
far height through the still mountain air
On oft repeated whistling call. IL meant
nothing TO the tsnderfoot, but both guides
exclaimed, .Elkf'' There, mp yonderr
said ono Of the guides, pointing to a high
peak OF the Flat Top range, now family
touched with the tints Of coming dawn.
The camp where the thres men lay under
the stars, their horses picketed near at
hand. was beside the swift Williams fork,
In green valley OF Routt county. Colo,
nearly 8 200 feet above the sea level. The
height, whence fell that mysterious call,
rose snowy and pine clad 1900 or 1900
feet higher.
1t still lacked more than an hourof sun
rise. and one Of the guides had TO be dis
patched down the valley to It's sole farm
house In search OF supplies. II was, there
FORE late In the morning before the ten
derfoot and his two guides were climbing
ON broncho back toward the FAR line OF the
green timber. The plan was 20 go thus far
with the horses, and leaving them ON the
upper edge OF the aspens 10 begin the
hunt on foot with the aid Of the trained
dog, which was the fourth member Ut the
party. The green timber. standing In
deep snow and numbered by many fallen
trees, In practically unfit for horsemen.
One after another bare rock crowned peaks
and far tree clad or grassy valleys were
unveiled to the travellers. The tendcrfoot,
unused to the atmosphere OF that high al
titude, found his throat parched and his
lips cracking with thirst long before the
aspens had been passed. The green tim
Der once reached, the hunters cast the
reins over their horses heads and left the
animals standing thus with the certainty
that they could be found when needed.
Then began that weary ascent OF the
snowclad heights. II had been agreed that
not even the great sprawling plantigrade
| track of the grizzly bear should draw the
hunters aside from their purpose. Elk
was the object Of that expedition. and elk
alone should claim their attention.
They would have Joined in no such
noisy sport, nor would they have stopped
to prepare their game for the spit had they
known that the elk herd was onl y SOC
yards away. Elk In that part of the
Rockies go In droves that may number u
or so. IL il not uncommon for single
great buli 20 lead polygamous family Of
| is or 30 cows, with half q dozen youngel
bulls hanging about the edge of thu
herd. The head Of this strange household
usually keeps his wives In single file aheat
Of him, aud In this fashion they travers,
| the mountains. When a sudden thirn
seizes the great bull, he starts with mat
1 -. - -
stream flows. He strikes with his grea
horns the flank OF the first COW that stand
| i'm his way, and thus the whole herd Il
started In heaAlong gallop down whateve
rough steep leads to the valley below
This downward flight OF the elk herd, 81
or 40 great creatures, swift AZ gallopinl
horses. sure footed A. the Andean llama
| Ii one Of the sights OF the Rockies.
| While the second guide talked softll
with the tenderfoot OF the eIk's habits th,
first guide, sturdy young blacksmith from
q distant valley; trudged some yard
ahead. An things stood thus. he sudden
W called In loud whisper and beckones
the laggards onward with gesture OF OK
element. As the tenderfoot hastenes
over the 30 or 10 yards OF snow betweez
himself and the blacksmith, the latte
pointed onward through the pines, ans
| the tenderfoot saw through short vista
for the first time In his life, q wild elk FIRE
upon his native ground. Tho great crea
ture doomed large an q big COW. it's branch
ing, massive horns extending far aionl
| it's sides. The tenderfoot was utterly on
OF breath, half wild with excitement an,
the victim OF buck fever.
"Taks your shot, y said the guide In
whisper denoting suppressed excitement
an he held the straining hound. Tn
tenderfoot raised the winchester TO hi
shoulder, but the weapon wobhled as IL 4
She hand. of d painied man. The guide
looked with a sort of professional horror
Still the gun wobbled and It's owner di
not shoot. "For God p sake, keep that GU
Iquieti'' whispered a guide hoarsely. b
this time all could see q dozen more al
moving about through the forest, but Cd
great bull still stood In silent contempla
ton OF the hunters. The tenderfoot. ID
spairing Of himself, knslt down and CLASP
ed his shaking weapon against his should
err. Then, determined not 20 be hurrie
into a bad shot. he watched the tremblin
muxxle until II passed across the breast Q
the bull. Then he fired. The great cres
ture leaped from hia place, and the guild
fired at his retreating figure. Suddenl
the woods seemed full OF the swift mos
ing elk. The hunters shot and shot again
The dog was now In full cry, and the hunt
ers followed the game AZ rapidly ~ posa
BILE. The whole herd was plunKing head
long through the green timber. One bul
was Fastening with the dog at his heel,
The dog would seize the fetlock, drop |,
and crouch n the great creature kicked
Finally. the dog, still clinging 10 til
bulls hind leg. was dragged over falle
log. As the buli took his leap one OF th
hunters fired, and the elk fell dead.
The air was now filed with the SCUM
Of the retreating elk as they plunge
through the underbursh. The herd va
rapidly getting out OF range. and the hunt
ERR paused 20 note what execution the
had done. Three elk bulls lay dead. Tbs
which the tenderfoot had flrst fired at ha
moved only few feet from his origins
stand. The bullet aimed with 70 muc
difficulty had reached his heart. Tn
guide had inflicted only slight wound
Two Of the great antlered heads wcz
taken OF BY the guides. TWAS impossible
10 carry away the flesh or even the skim
and the party, heavily laden with the AMI
lers and choice portions Of the meat, starr
ed downward through the green timber q
ward the horses. The journey was mad
with laborions slowness Ia deference &
the tenderfoof,s WORKOUT condition. tn
horses were sighted after three hours. an
found patiently waiting almost exactl
where they had been left. The dociie pac
horse, which had followed the trail a
the morning like kitten, was laden wit
the antfered heads and the meat. and ID
homewarsi journey was continued into Oh