Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1908-10-02

move about as little as possible; In
large bands, later in the season. Al
the beginning of the fall these bands
ioin with one another and with the
hands Of cows and calves, which have
likewise been keeping to themselves
during the late winter, the spring, ana
the summer Vast herds are thus
sometimes formed. containing, In the
old days when wapitl were plenty.
thousands Of head. The bulls now be
gin to fight furiously with one another,
and the great herd becomes split into
smaller ones. Each of these has one
master bull, who has won his position
by savage battle. and keeps 1t by over
coming every rival, whether a solitary
bull, or the lord of another harem, who
challenges him. When not lighting or
loye-making he is kept on the run,
chasing away the young bulls who ven
ture to pay court to the cows. He has
hardly time to eat or sleep, and soon
becomes gaunt and worn to de-
gree.
The battles between the bulls rarely
result fatally. After longer or
shorter period of charging, pushing,
and struggling the heavier or more
enduring Of the two begins to shove
his weaker antagonist back and round;
and the latter then watches his chance
and bolts. hotly, but as a rule harm
lessly. pursued for a few hundred
yards. The massive branching antlers
serve as effective guards against the
most wicked thrusts. While the an
tagonlsts are head on. the worst thai
can happen is a punch on the shoulder
which will not break the thick hide
though 1t may bruise the flesh under
meath.
Wapiti keep their antlers until the
spring whereas deer and moose lost
theirs by mid-winter. The bulPs be
havior in relation to the COW Is mere
ly that OF a vicious and brutal cow
ard. He bullies her continually, apd
I'm times of danger his one thought is
for sneaking off to secure his own
safety. For all his noble looks he is
very unamiable beast, who behaves
with brutal ferocity to the weak, and
shows abject terror of the strong.
According TO his powers, he is guilty
of rape, robbery, and even murder. |
never felt the least compunction at
shooting a bull, but hate to shoot
COW. even when forced by necessity.
During the rut the bulls are very
noisy: and their notes Of amorous
challenge are called "whistllng" by
the frontiersmen,-very inappropriate
ly. They begin to whistle about ten
days before they begin to run; and
they have In addition an odd kind Of
bark, which is only heard occasion
ally.
Heard at a little distance. and in its
proper place, the call of the wapiti Is
one Of the grandest and most beauti-
full sounds In nature. Especially is
this the case when several rivals are
answering one another, on some frosty
moonlight night In the mountains.
Wullt III tut DlOuuthluS. L
ed to peculiarly grand chorus of
this kind. We were travelling with
pack ponies at the time. and our tent
was pitched in a grove Of yellow pine,
by brook In the bottom Of a valley
On either hand rose the mountains.
covered with spruce forest. 1t was In
September, and the frst snow had
just fallen.
The day before we had walked long
and hard; and during the night slept
the heavy sleep Of the weary. Early
in the morning. just as the east began
to grow gray, walked; and as l did
so, the sounds that smote on my ear,
caused me to sit up and throw of the
warm blankets. Bull elk were chal-
longing among the mountains on both
sides of the valley. little way from
us, their notes echoing like the calling
of silver bu giles GrODinp ahout In the