The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1896-07-21
FOLLOWING THE ELK.
HUNTING THE ANTlEREp MONARCH
IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS.

ssent sight-A Case of Buck Ague-The
Bull Elko as the Result of the Raid.
"IIistl' said the guide, suddenly sitting
holt upright in his blanket. He, the ten
derfoot and the second guide all listened
ihtently, and there fell softly from some
far height through the still mountain air
an oft repeated whistling call. 1t meant
nothing to the tenderfoot but both guides
exclaimed, "Elk!" "There, up yon6erl'
said one of the guides, pointing to high
peak of the Flat Top range, now family
touched with the tints of coming dawn.
The camp where the three 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 1000 feet above the sea level. The
height, whence fell that mysterious call,
rose snowy and pine clad 1900 or 5000
feet higher.
1t still lacked more than an hour of sun
rise, and one of the guides had to be dis
patched down the valley to its sole farm
house in search of supplies. It 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 to go thus far
with the horses, and leaving them on the
upper edge of the aspens to begin the
hunt on foot with the aid of the trained
dog, which was the fourth member of the
party. The green timber, standing in
deep snow and numbered by many fallen
! trees, is practically unfit for horsemen.
One after another bare rock crowned peaks
and far tree clad or grassy valleys were
unveiled to the travellers. The tenderfoot,
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 let tho
animals standing thus with the certainty
that they could be found when needed.
Then began that weary ascent of the
snowclad heights. 1t had been agreed that
not even the great sprawling plantigradc
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 600
yards away. Elk in that part of the
Rockies go in droves that may number 40
or so. 1t is not uncommon for single
great bull to lead polygamous family of
Is or 20 COWS, with half dozen younger
bulls hanging about the edge of the
herd. The head of this strange household
usually keeps his wives in single file ahead
of him, and in this fashion they traverse
the mountains When sudden thirst
seizes the great bull, he starts with n mad
rush for the valley where the nearest
; stream flows. He strikes with his great
, horns the flank of the first COW that stands
in his way, and thus the whole herd is
started in headlong gallop down whatever
; rough steep leads to the valley below
This downward fight of the elk herd, &c
, or 40 great creatures, swift as gallopine
horses, sure footed as the Andean llama
is one of the sights of the Rockies.
; While the second guide talked softly
with the tenderfoot of the elk's habits the
first guide, a sturdy young blacksmith from
distant valley, trudged some yards
= ahead. As things stood thus, he sudden
I ly called in loud whisper and beckoned
the laggards onward with gesture of ex
element AS the tenderfoot FASTENED
4 over the so or 40 yards of snow between
i, himself and the blacksmith, the lattel
y pointed onward through the pines, ant
the tenderfoot saw through n short vista
S for the first time in his life, wild elk fret
q upon his native ground. The great crea
ture loomed large as big COW, its branch
ing, massive horns extending far along
: its sides. The tenderfoot was utterly ou
}. of breath, half wild with excitement and
4 the victim of buck fever.
"Take your shot, said the guide in {
whisper denoting suppressed excitement
as he held the straining hound. TIT
tenderfoot raised the winchester to hi
shoulder, but the weapon wobbled as If IL
$ the hands of u palsied man. The guide
looked with sort of professional horror
Still the gun wobbled and it's owner die
not shoot. "For God IS sake, keep that gui
k quietr' whispered II guide boarsely. B.
, this time all could see u dozen more ell
;, moving about through the forest, but th
great bull still stood In silent contempla
l. ton OF the hunters. The tenderfoot, de
!. spairing of himself, knelt down and clasp
! ed his shaking weapon against his should
" er. Then, determined not to be hurrie'
Il into bad shot, he watched the trembling
: muzzle until it passed across the breast Q
:, the bull. Then he fired. The great crea
" ture leaped from his place, and the guild
s. fired at his retreating figure. Suddenl
v the woods seemed full of the swift NOV
ing elk The hunters shot and shot again
The dog was now in full cry, and the hunt
: ers followed the game as rapidly az posi-
# BILE. The whole herd was plunging head
: long through the green timber. One bul
was Fastening with the dog at his heels
\ The dog would seize the fetlock, drop II
e and crouch as the great creature kicked
Finally, the dog, still clinging to til
= bulbs hind leg was dragged over II falle
log AS the bull took his leap one of tn
l. hunters fired, and the elk fell dead.
IS The air was now filled with the soun
g of the retreating elk as they plunge
through the underbursh. The herd wa
rapidly getting ont of range, and the hum
l. ers paused to note what execution the
Il, had done. Three elk bulls lay dead. This
which the tenderfoot had first fired ut Ina
/ moved only few feet from his origin;
e stand. The bullet aimed with so niue
n difficulty had reached his heart. tn
guide had inflicted only slight wound.
-" Two Of the great antlered heads wen
= taken off by the guides. TWAS impossib