The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-06-27


ders, bristling md erect. Then they
charged furfously. the crash Of the
meeting antlers rcsounding through the
valley. The shock threw them both
on their launches; with locked horns
and glaring eyes they strove against
each other. getting their hind legs we'll
under them, straining every muscle ~
their huge bodies. and squealing say
agely. They were evenly matched IN
weight, strength. and courage; and
push as they might, neither got the
upper hand, FIRST one yielding few
inches, then the other. while they
swayed to and fro in their struggles,
smashing the bushes and ploughing
MP the soil.
Finally they separated and stood
some little distance apart, under the
great pines; their sides heaving, and
columns Of steams rising from their
Frightening morning. Again they
rushed together with q crash. and each
strove nightly to overthrow the other,
or get past his guard; but the branch
ing antlers caught every vicious lunge
and thrust. This set-to was stopped
rather curiously. One Of the unlocking
elk was yearling; the other. though
scarcely as heavy-bodied as either Of
the fighters, had q finer head. He was
evidently much excited by the battle,
and he now began to walk towards the
two combatants. nodding his head and
uttering q queer. whistling noise. They
dared not leave their tanks uncovered
to his assault; and as he approached
they promptly separated, and walked
or side by side few yards apart. In a
moment, however, one spun round and
jumped at his old adversary, seeking
to stab him In his unprotected flank;
but the latter was just as quick, and as
before caught the rush on his horns.
They closed as furiously as ever; but
the utmost either could do was to In
fict one or two punches on the neck
and shoulders Of his foe, where the
the peace-maker approached. nodding
his head, whistling, and threatening:
and again they separated.
This was repeated once or twice; and
began to be afraid lest the breeze
which was very light and puffy should
shift and give them my wind. So.
sesting my ride on my knee fired
twice. putting one bullet behind the
shoulder of the peace-maker, and the
other behind the shoulder Of one Of the
combatants. Both were deadly shoes,
but, 40 80 often with wapiti. neither Of
the wounded animals at the moment
showed any signs Of being hit. The
yeariing ran OF unscathed. The other
three crowded together and trotted be
hind some spruce ON the left. while we
ran forward for another shot. In q
moment one fell: whereupon tho re-
naming two turned and came back
across the glade, trotting to the right.
Az we opened IRE they broke into q
numbering gallop, but were both
downed before they got out Of sight in
the timber.
The wapiti is, next to the moose, the
most quarrelsome and pugnacious OF
American deer. 1t cannot be said that
It 10 ordinarily dangerous beast to
hunt: yet there are instances In which
wounded wapiti. incautiously approach
- 70 within striking distance. have Sc
verely misused their assailants, both
with their ant1ers and their forefeet.
However, the fiercest wapiti bull,
when In q Wild state, ices the neigh
borhood Of man with the same panic
terror shown by the cows; and he
makes no stand against a grisly. though
when his horns are grown he has little
fear Of either wolf or cougar II on his
guard and attacked fairly. The chief
battles Of the bulls are Of course waged
with one another. Before the begin
ming Of the rut they keep by them
selves: !0gly, while the sprouting
horns are still very young. at which
time they lie in secluded spots and
move about ~ little rs possible; IN
large bands, later in the season. At
the beginning Of the fall these bands
join with one another and with the
bands OF cows and calves, which have
likewise been keeping to themselves
during the late winter, the spring, and
the summer. Vast herds are thus
sometimes formed. containing. In the
old days when wapiu were plenty.
thousands OF head. The bulls now BE-
GIN to tight 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 It by over.
coming every rival, whether solitary
bull. Or the lord Of another harem, who
challenges him. When not fighting or
love-making he b 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 q de-
gree.
The battles between the bulls rarely
result fatally. After q 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 ~ . rule harm
lessly. pursued for q few hundred
yards. The massive branching antlers
serve - effective guards against the
most wicked thrusts. While the an
tagonists are head On. the worst that
can happen b punch On the shoalder
which win not break the thick hide,
though It may bruiss the fesh under
Meath.