encouraging him to descend, he courteously added, "Thank you."

A minute later he was thrilled to find that his erratic loop had
actually dropped over the end of the gun barrel. A quick jerk at the
proper instant tightened the clutch, and after that it was the easiest
thing in the world to pull the weapon up within reach of his trembling
hands.

"Now, we'll see if you're going to have the laugh on me, you old scamp!
Hi! Hold on, there! Who said you could walk away? Come back here, and
have it out! I dare you!"

The elk, as if suspecting that all was not well, had indeed started to
move off. But when Bluff made a great feint of coming down, he succeeded
in exciting the animal's anger again, and caution was flung to the
winds.

Bluff watched for his chance, and when it came he made sure work of it
by sending a bullet through the heart of the fighting elk.

Even then he waited a little while.

"Going to try getting up again? This time I'm ready for you, old
fellow!" he said to the fallen beast; but presently it became patent,
even to his inexperienced eyes, that the elk had breathed its last.

"Now, if Will were only here," Bluff remarked enviously, as he put one
foot on his prize and tried to look very unconcerned, as if knocking
down such big game might be a matter of almost daily occurrence with
him.