These wapiti (American cousins of the European stag) were the largest deer the cubs had ever seen, and one of them had the most ferocious great wide antlers.
“I’d hate to get that bull after me,” said Snookie.
“Well, you can tell his head end from a long way off,” observed Chinook.
“By the antlers?”
“You can tell, when he’s too far away to see his horns.”
“How?”
“By his tail end. Don’t you see that big light-colored patch?” referring to the rump spots they wore.
“That’s right,” reflected Snookie. “Look at them trailing up through the woods.” For as the wind shifted and carried the herd the scent of the two bears, the wapiti had taken alarm.
“I expect they can follow each other from a long way off,” reasoned Snookie, “their tail ends show up so plainly.” Her mother had taught her to look for the reason in everything.
“There’s always a reason,” her brother agreed. “Whoof! There’s Cougar!” Far away across the meadow they could see the giant cat creeping sinuously like a gray-brown shadow against the dark green of the spruce woods. Cougar had craftily come up with the wind in his nostrils, and he could smell the elk when they could not get his scent.