226 Mountain Sheet. 



are extremely wary and cautious animals, and are plentiful 

 in but few places. This is rather surprising, for they seem 

 to be fairly prolific (although not as much so as deer and 

 antelope), and comparatively few are killed by the hunters ; 

 indeed, much fewer are shot than of any other kind of 

 western game in proportion to their numbers. They hold 

 out in a place long after the elk and buffalo have been 

 exterminated, and for many years after both of these 

 have become things of the past the big-horn will still 

 exist to afford sport to the man who is a hardy moun- 

 taineer and skilful with the rifle. For it is the only kind 

 of game on whose haunts cattle do not trespass. Good 

 buffalo or elk pasture is sure to be also good pasture 

 for steers and cows ; and in summer the herds of the 

 ranchman wander far into the prairies of the antelope, 

 while in winter their chosen and favorite resorts are 

 those of which the black-tail is equally fond. Thus, 

 the cattle-men are almost as much foes of these kinds 

 of game as are the hunters, but neither cattle nor cow- 

 boys penetrate into the sterile and rocky wastes where 

 the big-horn is found. And it is too wary game, and the 

 labor of following it is too great, for it ever to be much 

 persecuted by the skin or market hunters. 



In size the big-horn comes next to buffalo and elk, 

 averaging larger than the black-tail deer, while an old ram 

 will sometimes be almost as heavy as a small cow elk. In 

 his movements he is not light and graceful like the prong- 

 horn and other antelopes, his marvellous agility seem- 

 ing rather to proceed from sturdy strength and wonderful 

 command over iron sinews and muscles. The huge horns 



