174 WAPITI

patch, was as sleek as that of a well-groomed horse, and
glistened in the bright sunlight, while his massive, dark-
brown neck was furnished with a splendid mane. Soon
after he appeared on the scene he stopped, stood for a
second or two with his head up, and then, stretching it out
to its farthest, he curled up his lips and gave vent to
his feelings by sending forth a resounding challenge to all
bulls in the vicinity. Then along he came with his long,
massive horns—which we could make out, even with the
naked eye, to be of imposing length—swaying with his
stride. He was a superb spectacle !

At that time I had just taken up photography of game,
and had a new camera with me that I had purchased
especially for that sort of work: it had a combination of
lenses, one of which was telescopic and which I was
extremely anxious to experiment with. Here seemed a
splendid opportunity. The lenses were quickly changed
and the camera made ready. By the time this was done
the cow had approached to within seventy-five yards of
us, but then, instead of holding to her course along the
river bed and following round the small bend that was
just there, she must needs climb up the opposite bank to
cut across the bend. Almost as soon as she reached the
top she disappeared for a minute or two in a thick patch
of firs, but shortly afterwards came out on the far side
of a small opening in the timber that was directly opposite
us. She was then somewhat too far away even for a
telescopic lens, but feeling sure that the bull would follow
her line I waited for the cow to move out of sight and
the bull to go into the same patch of trees that the cow
had passed through. Everything seemed to be going
well. The bull took the same course, disappeared in the
trees, and gave me the opportunity I was waiting for.
Immediately I slipped down the bank, stole across the
river bed, and crept up the opposite bank until I could
see over the top, confidently expecting the bull to come
out on the far side of the opening where the cow had
appeared. But my calculations were upset in a most
astonishing manner. What induced that bull to alter his