American Big-Game Hunting 



and, following it cautiously for about a mile 

 through the open, it led into a dense patch of 

 pine on the side of the mountain. Proceed- 

 ing very carefully now, I soon made out the 

 outline of a fine old ram that had wandered 

 off here in the timber to be by himself. Giv- 

 ing him no time to run, for I was close upon 

 him, certainly not farther than twenty-five 

 yards, I planted a shot just back of the shoul- 

 der, but he did not seem to mind it. I gave 

 him another when he started to walk slowly 

 off. One more shot in the same place, and 

 down he came. Even then he died hard. 

 Such is the vitality of an old ram; for upon ex- 

 amining him I found his heart all torn to 

 pieces. This was a good head of nearly six- 

 teen inches circumference of horns, and the 

 girth of chest was forty-six inches. In return- 

 ing to camp for horses to pack him on, I jumped 

 five more sheep, but having done well enough, 

 they were allowed to disappear in safety. 



Sheep have a wonderfully keen vision, and 

 it is absolutely useless to try to get to them 

 if they once see you, unless you happen to be 

 above them and on their favorite runway; then 

 they huddle together and try to break back 



