The boys were not loath to do this, and away they went pell-mell, over the grass and around the rocks and bushes. The second elk was limping along, occasionally holding his left hind leg in the air. He did not seem to be going fast, but he dodged in and out among the rocks so quickly that to get another shot at him seemed impossible.
"If we can only get him into the open we'll have him!" cried Dave.
The trail now led down the mountain side and then into a thicket of cedars. As they entered the thicket, Dave gave a yell.
He leaped to one side and the other lads did the same. A second later the wounded elk rushed almost on them, his antlers lowered as if to crush all in his path. The boys fired as quickly as they could, and hit in the side, the animal swerved and dashed off at a right angle to the course he had been pursuing.
"Phew! but that was a narrow escape!" gasped Phil.
"It's different when the game hunts you, isn't it?" queried the senator's son.
"We must keep our eyes open, and our guns ready," said Dave. "Come ahead, that elk must be pretty hard hit by this time."
Again they went on. They could hear the big game crashing among the cedars. Evidently the elk was in such pain he did not know where to go.
"I see him!" cried Dave five minutes later, and pointed to a rocky elevation ahead. At the foot of the rocks stood the elk, glaring in rage at them. All of the young hunters elevated their firearms, and as they did this the big game charged them full tilt.
Crack! bang! crack! went the weapons, and the elk was halted in his course. He tried to come on, but in vain, and slowly swayed from side to side. Then he tried to retreat, but it was too late. With a snort he went over, kicking up big clods of grass as he did so. Then he gave a shiver and breathed his last.
"We've got him! We've got him!" cried Roger, exultantly, and began to caper about in his joy. "Just think of it, Dave, two elk! Isn't that something to be proud of?"
"I think so," answered Dave, his face beaming.
"I suppose the other elk is dead," said Phil. "But we'd better go back and make sure."
"We don't want to leave this here," said Roger, wistfully. "That other hunter might come along and claim him."
"I'll go back to where we left Todd, and you can watch this elk," said Dave. "I'll ask Todd what we had best do with both animals."