TWO ELK AND A BEAR
"I guess that hunter, whoever he is, will lose that deer," was Dave's
comment.
"He won't if he knows how to follow the game up," answered Sid Todd.
"That deer was badly wounded, and game can't run far over these rough
rocks."
"Wonder who it was?" mused Phil.
"Can't tell that--so many folks come out here to hunt," answered the
cowboy. "It might be some ranchman or cowboy, and it might be some city
sportsman trying his luck."
"We may fall in with him later," said Dave. "If we do, I hope he proves
a nice sort."
"Folks out here usually hunt on their own hook," said Todd.
The cowboy had in mind to pass to the north of the mountain top, and
this they did, soon leaving behind the locality where the two deer had
been seen. They saw nothing of the party who had fired the two shots.
"I hope he doesn't take us for game and shoot this way," said Roger,
who had heard of just such accidents more than once.
"Well, we don't want to mistake him for game either," said Dave.
"Whenever you shoot, be sure of what you are shooting at."
"Right you are," cried Sid Todd. "If hunters weren't too hasty there
wouldn't be any accidents."
A little over half a mile was covered, and by that time the sun was
sinking over the hills to the westward. A suitable spot was selected and
the tent was pitched, and they prepared a supper of fish and venison,
meat and crackers, washing it down with some chocolate that Roger made.
Early in the morning Sid Todd left the camp, to be gone the best part of
two hours. He came back showing his excitement.
"A chance for elk, boys!" he cried. "But you must hurry and do a good
bit of tramping."
"Can you walk, Phil?" asked Dave, anxiously.
"Just as well as ever," was the answer, and Phil took a turn around the
camp to prove his words.
No time was lost in preparing for the hunt, and in less than ten minutes
all were off, having tethered the horses in a spot they deemed safe.
Their provisions they tied in skins and hung in the trees, so they might
be safe from wild marauders.
It was a hard climb, over the rocks and among the bushes, and once the
boys had to call a halt, to catch their breath. But Todd was afraid the
elk would take themselves off, so he urged them on as much as possible.
"There were two elk, big fellows, too," he said. "If we don't bag at
least one of 'em, we may not get another such chance all the time we are
out here."
Presently they came to something of a hollow on the mountain side. Here
was a fine spring of sparkling water, and all stopped long enough to get
a refreshing drink. It was hot in the sun and all were beginning to
perspire freely.
"If we get those elk we'll earn 'em," was Roger's comment.
"Right you are!" panted Phil.
"How much further have we to go?" questioned Dave.
"Not over a quarter of a mile," answered the cowboy. He was still in the
lead and he had his eyes on the alert for the first glimpse at the big
game.
The boys were pretty well winded when Sid Todd called a halt. They had
reached a clump of cedar trees and beyond was an open spot among a
number of loose rocks, with patches of rich mountain grass between.
"Gone!" said the cowboy, with a deep sigh.
"Gone!" echoed the three boys, in dismay.
"Yes, gone. They were right out yonder, grazing as peacefully as could
be. Now I don't see 'em anywhere," continued the cowboy, mournfully.
"It's too bad!" murmured Dave. "Maybe you would have done better if you
had fired on them."
"I wanted you lads to have a chance."
"Perhaps they are still in this vicinity," suggested Roger. "Let us take
a look around."
The others were willing, and slowly and cautiously they made their way
among the cedars and the big rocks, exposing themselves as little as
possible, and speaking only in a whisper. They had the rifles and
shotguns ready for action.
Half an hour's search took them to another dent in the mountain side.
Here the grass was extra thick and inviting and a spring of water flowed
quietly over the rocks.
"That's an ideal spot for a camp," said Phil to Dave, as they halted to
view the scene.
Dave did not answer, for he had seen something moving in the bushes
close to the water. He pointed in silence, and all gazed in the
direction. Slowly a magnificent pair of antlers arose behind the bushes.
"One of the elk!" whispered Sid Todd.
"And there is the other!" came from Roger, and pointed to a rock twenty
yards beyond the bushes.
"Now, boys, be careful," directed the cowboy. "This is the chance of
your lives. Divide up the game to suit yourselves. I won't shoot unless
I see the elk getting away from you."
The chums consulted among themselves, and Roger and Phil decided to aim
at the elk nearest to them.
"Then I'll aim at the elk near the rock," said Dave. "I think I've got
the best rifle anyway," he added.
All crawled forward, followed by Todd, and thus covered half the
distance toward the game. The nearest elk was now less than a hundred
yards away.
"They see us!" cried Phil, and hastily raised his firearm, and the
others did the same. Then, as the elk bounded away, all three of the
young hunters fired.
Both the animals were hit, but neither mortally, and as soon as possible
the boys fired a second time. The elk were now together, and a bullet
and some shot meant for one hit the other. One of the animals staggered
and fell, got up, and staggered again, coming down on the rocks with a
loud thud.
"You've got this one!" cried Sid Todd, in triumph. "Go after the other!"
The boys were not loath to do this, and away they went pell-mell, over
the grass and around the rocks and bushes. The second elk was limping
along, occasionally holding his left hind leg in the air. He did not
seem to be going fast, but he dodged in and out among the rocks so
quickly that to get another shot at him seemed impossible.
"If we can only get him into the open we'll have him!" cried Dave.
The trail now led down the mountain side and then into a thicket of
cedars. As they entered the thicket, Dave gave a yell.
"Look out!"
He leaped to one side and the other lads did the same. A second later
the wounded elk rushed almost on them, his antlers lowered as if to
crush all in his path. The boys fired as quickly as they could, and hit
in the side, the animal swerved and dashed off at a right angle to the
course he had been pursuing.
"Phew! but that was a narrow escape!" gasped Phil.
"It's different when the game hunts you, isn't it?" queried the
senator's son.
"We must keep our eyes open, and our guns ready," said Dave. "Come
ahead, that elk must be pretty hard hit by this time."
Again they went on. They could hear the big game crashing among the
cedars. Evidently the elk was in such pain he did not know where to go.
"I see him!" cried Dave five minutes later, and pointed to a rocky
elevation ahead. At the foot of the rocks stood the elk, glaring in
rage at them. All of the young hunters elevated their firearms, and as
they did this the big game charged them full tilt.
Crack! bang! crack! went the weapons, and the elk was halted in his
course. He tried to come on, but in vain, and slowly swayed from side to
side. Then he tried to retreat, but it was too late. With a snort he
went over, kicking up big clods of grass as he did so. Then he gave a
shiver and breathed his last.
"We've got him! We've got him!" cried Roger, exultantly, and began to
caper about in his joy. "Just think of it, Dave, two elk! Isn't that
something to be proud of?"
"I think so," answered Dave, his face beaming.
"I suppose the other elk is dead," said Phil. "But we'd better go back
and make sure."
"We don't want to leave this here," said Roger, wistfully. "That other
hunter might come along and claim him."
"I'll go back to where we left Todd, and you can watch this elk," said
Dave. "I'll ask Todd what we had best do with both animals."
"Can you find the way?" questioned Phil.
"I think so."
Reloading his rifle, Dave set off for the spot where they had left the
cowboy and the first elk. For a few minutes he followed the back trail
with ease, then, almost before he was aware, he became mixed up and
scarcely knew in what direction to turn.
"I suppose I might call out, or fire my rifle," he mused. "But if I do
that the others may think I am in trouble."
Looking around carefully, Dave set off once more, and presently reached
a spot that looked familiar. On the ground he could see footprints and
these he commenced to follow. But in a few minutes he found himself in a
thicket he was sure he had never seen before.
"I am mixed up, and no mistake," he murmured, his face falling. "I
shouldn't have been so sure of myself at the start. It isn't so easy as
one thinks to find a trail among these rocks and bushes. I guess I had
better call to Todd, and to the others."
He set up a shout and waited for a reply. None came, and he shouted a
second time. Then, from a distance, came a call.
"Well, I didn't think Todd was in that direction," he said to himself.
"I am twisted and no mistake."
Again he started off, and this time found himself skirting a series of
loose rocks of various sizes. He was going down hill and occasionally
loosened a round stone with his foot and sent it crashing to a thicket
of cedars below.
A hundred yards were covered when Dave heard the cry again. Now it was
plainer, and it sounded a little like a call for help.
"Maybe Todd is in trouble," he mused. "Perhaps that elk got up and
attacked him!" And with this thought in his mind he set off on a dog-trot
in the direction of the voice he had heard.
It was dangerous among the loose stones, and once Dave went down and
rolled over and over, coming pretty close to hitting his face and
shooting off his rifle. As he picked himself up he heard a call quite
plainly.
"Help! help! Somebody help me!"
"It must be Todd!" burst from the youth's lips, and now, in spite of the
danger, he bounded from rock to rock down the slope. The call came from
the left, and thither he made his way, halting in dismay as he came out
on a little cliff.
At the foot of the cliff he saw the man who had uttered the call for
aid. It was Hank Snogger. He was having a fierce face-to-face tussle
with a big bear. His gun was on the ground and so was his sombrero, and
in his hand he held his hunting knife. As Dave viewed the scene in
horror, the bear made a pass with one forepaw and sent the hunting knife
whirling from the cowboy's grasp. Then the bear closed in, as if to hug
Snogger to death!