Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1908-11-20

gradually edged In pretty close TO me-
Where the woods became pretty open
I saw him suddenly lift his rife and
fire. and Immediately afterwards
splendid bull elk trotted past In front
of me, evidently untouched, the team
ster having missed. The elk ran 10
the other side of two trees that stood
close together some seventy yards OIL
and stopped for a moment to look
round. Kneeling down | fired at the
only part Of his body | could see be-
tween the two trees, and sent a bullet
into his lank. Away he went, and |
after, running in my moccasins over
the moss and pine needles for all there
was in me- II a wounded elk gets
fairly started he will go at measured
trot for many hours. and even II NOR
tally hurt may run twenty miles be-
fore falling: while at the same time
he does not start Off at full speed, and
will often give an active hunter
chance for another shot as he turns
and changes his course preparatory to
taking a straight line. So raced along
after the elk at my very best speed for
n few hundred feet. and then got an
other shot as he went across a little
glade. injuring his hip somewhat This
made 1t all right for me. and another
hundred yards burst took me up to
where was able to put ball In a
fatal spot. and the grand old fellow
sank down and fell over on his side.
No sportsman can ever feel much
keener pleasure and dissatisfaction
than when, after successful stalk
and good shot. he walks up to grand
elk lying dead in the cool shade OF
the great evergreens. and looks at the
massive and yet finely moulded form,
and at the mighty antlers which are
to serve In the future as the trophy
and proof OF his successful skill. Still
hunting the. elk on the mountains Is as
noble a kind Of sport as can well be
imagined; there is nothing more pleas
ant and enjoyable, and at the same
time 1t demands that the hunter shall
bring into play many manly qualities.
There have been few days of my hunt
ing life that were so full OF unalloyed
happiness as were those spent on the
BIghorn range. From morning till
night | was on foot. in cool. bracing
air, now moving silently through the
vast, melancholy pine forests, now
treading the brink OF high, rocky prec-
amid tho nnat GRAND
and beautiful scenery; and always
after as noble and lordly game as Is to
be found in the Western world.
Since writing the above | killed an
elk near my ranch; probably the last
of his race that will ever be found In
our neighborhood. 1t was just before
the fall roundup. An old hunter. who
was under some obligation to me, told
me that he had shot COW elk and
had seen the tracks OF one or two
others not more than twenty-five miles
OF. In a place where the cattle rarely
wandered. Such chance was not to
be neglected and. on the first free day,
one OF my Elk-horn foremen, VIII Dow
by name. and myself, took our hunt
ing horses and started of. accompa-
MED by the ranch wagon. in the direc-
ton OF the probable haunts OF the
doomed deer. Towards nightfall we
struck a deep spring pool, near by the
remains OF an old Indian encampment
1t was at the head Of a great basin.
several miles across. in which we be-
lieved the game TO lie. The wagon
was halted and we pitched camp; there
was plenty OF dead wood. and soon
the venison steaks were broiling over
the Goals raked from beneath the
cracking cottonwood logs, while in
the narrow valley the ponies grazed
almost within the circle OF the flicker
ing fre-light. II was in the cool and
pleasant month OF September; and
long after going to bed we lay awake
under the blankets watching the stars
that on clear nights always shine with
such intense brightness over the lonely
Western plains.
We were up and Off by the gray OF
the morning II was beautiful hunt