RAMS AND CARIBOU 



take them at least half an hour to work under 

 cover, and each minute of that thirty was golden 

 to us, who begrudged every delay they made. 

 We lay behind some projecting rocks awaiting 

 developments. I heard a gurgling sound and 

 looked back to find Cap asleep. In about the 

 conjectured time one of the rams vanished be- 

 hind the knoll. A 50-foot blanket would cover 

 the remaining five as they, too, disappeared. I 

 awoke Cap with a slap and we were soon moving 

 fast toward our goal behind the rocky ledge. We 

 followed this projection fifty yards, then sank 

 into a swale, which we followed a ways and 

 finally came out above them about 250 yards 

 away. Cap spied on them and said he could kill 

 one from where we lay. I advised a further 

 stalk, and as it seemed favorable owing to a 

 slight depression lying for seventy-five yards 

 ahead of us, we crept and slid toward them until 

 we were about 150 yards away. I raised up and 

 saw, for the first time, that they were disturbed. 

 My first shot standing, I am ashamed to say, 

 missed. Cap said he would hold his fire until I 

 had one down. My second shot piled one of 

 them up, but he was soon up and moving. By 

 this time they were all going. Cap missed his 

 first shot, a most difficult one at best, but his 

 next knocked one over. Then I hit one, bringing 

 him down, but he was up again. He walked 

 slow, as he was hard hit. Cap chased after the 

 fleeing ones and on the run at 400 yards he was 



171 



