248 FOUR-FOOTED AMERICANS 



" Because of his way of hunting Indian-fashion. No 

 matter which way the wind blew, when he had once 

 located an animal, whether it was Bighorn, Moose, or 

 Elk, he would manage to crawl and tack up against 

 the wind within shooting distance of it. In doing 

 this for years he had acquired the cunning of a snake, 

 and would often appear by the campfire as suddenly 

 as if he had come through the ground. 



" This particular day he insisted that we should 

 leave the horses behind and go on foot, as the rolling of 

 stones and other like sounds, made even by the most 

 sure-footed horses, might prevent our getting a sight 

 of our game. I carried nothing but my pet Winchester, 

 but Joe shouldered a small pack sufficient for a night's 

 camping. After climl)ing pretty steadily for four 

 hours, we sat down to rest and eat our dinner of cold 

 food. Finding shelter at the edge of a belt of spruces, 

 where there was also water, Ave resolved to camp there 

 that night and so left the pack in a tree until our re- 

 turn, out of the reach of inquisitive Bears, if any should 

 pass that way. 



'' Our stalk for Bighorns began about one o'clock ; 

 Joe took the lead, directing me by signs. In an hour 

 Ave were well clear of the woods, and skirting a cliff 

 full of springs and caverns. Suddenly Joe dropped to 

 his knees, motioning me to do the same, then raised his 

 head and gave it an upward jerk. I looked, and half 

 a mile awa}^ on a jutting rock that stood clean against 

 the sky, like a headland against blue sea, was a Bighorn 

 ram, as immovable as if he were a part of the blue gray 

 stone itself. A little back of him w^ere some ewes, 

 lambs, and another ram, tliough as they were lying down 



