efforts, which were not at all according to the usual rules of the game.
However, as Bluff would say, the proof of the pudding lies in the eating
of it, and he certainly did manage to creep up quite close to the
feeding elk.

Thinking he was now near enough, and that the animal was beginning to
act uneasily, Bluff stretched himself out, balanced his gun on a stone,
took a long aim, and then pulled the trigger.

The elk certainly dropped, at which the young hunter gave a bellow of
delight. That was where he made a foolish blunder, for believing that
his bullet had done for the game, Bluff started recklessly forward, bent
on bleeding the same, and only regretting the fact that he could not
initiate his precious new blade.

To his astonishment, the wounded elk scrambled to its feet, and instead
of bounding away it shook its antlers in an angry fashion and started
straight toward the young hunter!




CHAPTER XI

THE ELK AND THE YOUNG HUNTER


"Hey! Hold on, there! That isn't in the game!"

The elk did not seem to care whether it were so or not, but came rushing