Climbing among the rocks, and passing through dense patches of timber, he kept on the alert for signs of game.  Now, Bluff did not make any pretence at being a skilful sportsman.  In fact, until a year or so back he had been the bungler of the party when it came to a knowledge of woodcraft; but since then he had studied up on various subjects, and was now anxious to air his knowledge.

When he caught sight of a large animal with towering antlers, feeding in a little glade, he knew it must, of necessity, be an elk, for a moose was built along different lines entirely.

It might have amused Jerry to see the way in which Bluff crawled closer and closer to the expected quarry.  No doubt he did make some ridiculous 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 straight on.  Like many another, more experienced in the ways of the woods than himself, Bluff almost forgot that he had other charges in his gun.  He was so amazed to see the animal he had fully believed to be dead show such surprising signs of life, that he stood there for a few precious seconds, gaping as if in a dream.

Then he made a wild spring to one side and gained the shelter of a tree.

“Oh!  What a socker!” he exclaimed, as the enraged and bleeding animal came full tilt against the trunk of the tree.

Before he could say more, or try to form any plan of action, he found himself obliged to spin around that same trunk with all the rapidity he could command, for the elk was apparently determined to overtake him, and those towering antlers seemed pointed with spikes, in the eyes of the startled lad as he strained every effort to keep beyond their reach.

Bluff was really alarmed by this time.  He knew that any unfortunate slip on his part would precipitate a tragedy.

“I laughed at Jerry and the wild dogs that chased him around and around, but never again for me!” he gasped, as he kept up the weary circle, hugging the trunk as closely as possible.