THE END OF THE TRAIL 297 



turage for an estimated number of sheep al- 

 ways in excess of the number for which the 

 sheep man has asked license. The license is 

 duly granted, and on the strength of it usually 

 a greater number of sheep than the license calls 

 for are run in, and not infrequently a friend's 

 sheep as well. 



The result can easily be imagined. The 

 range is stripped utterly, before snow falls, of 

 every vestige of grass and small browse, and 

 when the elk and antelope come down from the 

 park nothing remains for them to eat and they 

 starve by thousands. 



The unbiased observer is forced to arrive at 

 one of two conclusions. First: Either the 

 rangers or other inspectors, who report these 

 ranges capable of supporting thousands of 

 sheep without doing injury to the park animals 

 which rely upon them for forage, are grossly 

 incompetent and unfit for their positions; or, 

 second: that the charge of graft is true and they 

 are bribed to report these favorable conditions 

 by the sheepmen. If they are incompetent their 

 superior officers who employ them are directly 

 responsible for employing or keeping in service 

 incompetent men. 



If this were the only unoccupied public 

 range where domestic sheep could graze, it 



