Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1908-09-24

L 1elt really sorry 10 XIII IL. InOuSn
these were both well-known elks, their
antlers, of ten points, were small
twisted, and ill-shaped; in fact hardly
worth preserving, except to call to
mind n chase in which during n few
minutes / did as much downright hard
work as 1t has often fallen to my lot
to do. The burnt earth had blackened
our faces and hands till we looked like
negroes.
The finest bull, with the best head
that | got, was killed in the midst of
very beautiful and grand surroundings.
We had been hunting through a great
pine wood which ran up to the edge
of broad canyon-like valley, bounded
by sheer walls of rock. There were
fresh tracks of elk about, and we had
been advancing up wind with even
more than our usual caution when, on
stepping out into patch of open
ground, near the edge of the cliff, we
came upon Il great bull, beating and
thrashing his antlcrs against a young
tree, about eigh,y yards off. He
stopped and fGccI us for Il second, his
mighty antlerS thrown in the air, as he
held his head aoft. Behind him tow
cred the tail and sombre pines, while
at his feet the jutting crags overhung
the deep chasm below, that stretched
off between high walls of barren and
snow-StreG ECd rocks. the evergreens
clinging to their sides. while along the
bottom the rapid torrent gathered in
places into black ana sulcn mountain
lakes As the bull turned to run |
struck him just behind the shoulder;
he recleu to the dcath-blow but stag
gered gamely on Il few rods into the
forest before sinking to the ground,
with my second bullet through his
lungs.
Two or three days later than this |
killed another bull, nearly as large, in
the same patch of woods in which l
had slain the first. \ bear had been
feeding on the carcass of the latter,
and, after Il vain effort TO find his den,
we determined to beat through the
woods and try to start him up. Ac-
cordingly Merrified. the teamster, and
myself took parallel courses some three
hundred yards apart, and started at
one end to walk through to the other
| doubt if the teamSter much wished to
meet Il bear alone (whilc nothing would
have given Merrifeld more hearty and
unaffected enjoyment than to have en-
countered an entire family. and he
gradually edged In pretty close to me.
Where the woods became pretty open
| saw him suddenly lift his rifle and
fire. and Immediately afterwards Il
splendid bull elk trotted past in front
of me, evidently untouched, the team
ster having missed. The elk ran to
the other side of two trees that stood
close together some seventy yards off,
and stopped for moment to look
round. Kneeling down | fired at, the
only part of his body | could see be-
tween the two trees, and sent Il bullet
into his flank, Away he went, and
after. running in my moccasins over
the moss and pine needles for all there
was in me. If wounded elk gets
fairly started he viii go at Il measured
trot for many hours, and even if NOR
tally hurt may run twenty miles be
fore falling; while at the same time
will often give an active hunter a
chance for another shot as he turns
and changes his course preparatory to
taking Il straight line SO | raced along
after the elk at my very best speed for
Il few hundred feet, and then got an
other shot as he went across Il little
glade, iniurig his hip somewhat. This
made it all right for me, and another
hundred yards burst took me up TO
where | was able to put ball in Il
fatal spot, and the grand old fellow
sank down and fell over on his side.
No sportsman can ever feel much
keener pleasure and satisfaction
than when, after Il successful stalk
and good shot. he walks mp to Il grand
elk lying dead in the cool shade of
the great evcrgrcens. 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 rs
noble Il kind of sport as can well be
imagined; there is nothing more pleas
ant and enjoyable, and at the same
time it 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 We're 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-
ipiccs. always amid the most 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 neighborho0d. 1t was just before