it to eat his
dinner before he set to work to secure a _fac-simile_ of the picture,
with the party gathered around the fire, and the three tents making a
pleasing contrast to the dark green of the pinon trees.

Most of the party were contented to remain quiet during the balance of
the day, but Bluff developed an unusually ambitious spirit for action.
Truth to tell, he secretly considered that his chums were having more
than their share of good luck in making a record at bagging game, and
thought it time he started in.

Mr. Mabie had made him accept the use of a spare hunting-knife. It was a
short, though serviceable weapon, and had doubtless done splendid
execution in days gone by. Bluff used to take it out when he thought no
one was looking, run his finger over the keen edge, gaze sadly at the
dim blade, and shake his head. He could not get the memory of that other
grand specimen of the cutler's skill out of his mind, and his soul was
filled with bitterness because of its strange absence.

"Look out for wolves!" called Reddy, but Bluff only waved his hand in
derision as he walked away down the valley.

Of course, he knew that the stockmen were more or less troubled with
these hungry marauders in the winter time, and often had to organize
grand hunts in order to keep their number down; but it hardly seemed
reasonable to expect trouble from such a source in the summer season.

Elk and moose had not as yet come under the protection of the game laws,
so that they were at liberty to shoot what they pleased. As a rule,
however, Mr. Mabie did not believe in hunting such animals save in the
fall of the year.

Bluff had asked numerous questions before leaving camp, so that he knew
something about the lay of the land in the vicinity. He had started out
with all due regard to the way the wind was blowing, so as not to alarm
any quarry that might be sniffing up the breeze.

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 li