152 AUDUBON 



and leading from the prairies to the river. The hunter 

 sometimes, after toiling for an hour or two up the side of 

 one of these hills, trying to reach the top in hopes that 

 when there he will have for a short distance at least, 

 either a level place or good path to walk on, finds to his 

 disappointment that he has secured a point that only 

 affords a place scarcely large enough to stand on, and he 

 has the trouble of descending, perhaps to renew his disap- 

 pointment in the same way, again and again, such is the 

 deceptive character of the country. I was thus deceived 

 time and again, while in search of Bighorns. If the 

 hill does not terminate in a point it is connected with 

 another "hill, by a ridge so narrow that nothing but a Big- 

 horn can walk on it. This is the country that the Moun- 

 tain Ram inhabits, and if, from this imperfect description, 

 any information can be derived, I shall be more than re- 

 paid for the trouble I have had in these tiresome hills. 

 "Whether my theory be correct or incorrect, it is this : 

 These hills were at first composed of the clays that I have 

 mentioned, mingled with an immense quantity of com- 

 bustible material, such as coal, sulphur, bitumen, etc. ; 

 these have been destroyed by fire, or (at least the greater 

 part) by volcanic action, as to this day, on the Black Hills 

 and in the hills near where I have been, fire still exists; 

 and from the immense quantities of pumice-stone and 

 melted ores found among the hills, even were there no 

 fire now to be seen, no one could doubt that it had, at 

 some date or other, been there; as soon as this process 

 had ceased, the rains washed out the loose material, and 

 carried it to the rivers, leaving the more solid parts as 

 we now find them; the action of water to this day con- 

 tinues. As I have said, the Bighorns are very fond of 

 resorting to the shelves, or ledges, on the sides of the 

 hills, during the heat of the day, when these places are 

 shaded; here they lie, but are aroused instantly upon the 

 least appearance of danger, and, as soon as they have dis- 



