THE FIRST BIG-HORN. 135 



on the south side, overlooking the central portion, 

 and began eating his lunch. While thus fully ex- 

 posed to anything coming from the south, he saw a 

 big ram walking from the woods up the gravelly 

 hill to the crag at the end of the central ridge. 

 Dyche knew that if he so much as moved his hand 

 or foot he would be seen by the keen-eyed animal. 

 He thought rapidly now, for it was a case of no sheep 

 if he moved and perhaps no sheep if he did not move. 

 The ram reached the crag, and after gazing at the 

 country for a while began feeding towards the spot 

 where the naturalist lay. 



Dyche saw that his only possible chance would be to 

 sit perfectly still until the old fellow got close enough 

 and then shoot him. The ram was wild and had 

 evidently been hunted before. He would not take 

 time to graze, but would snatch a mouthful of grass 

 and then raise his head high in the air and look 

 about while he chewed it. He continued slowly 

 towards Dyche, but the naturalist's clothing was 

 of a colour that was indistinguishable from the 

 rock and earth on which he lay, and he was not seen. 

 The ram fed towards him some fifty yards, and just 

 as he was beginning to congratulate himself on 

 the success of his plan the animal suddenly pawed 

 the earth a little and lay down, facing towards the 

 naturalist. There he contentedly chewed his cud, 

 while Dyche hardly dared to breathe for fear he 

 might be seen. 



Minute after minute passed and the sun slowly 

 crawled towards the western horizon. At last the 

 sheep got up and shook himself, and Dyche felt that 



10 



