THE COLLECTION COMPLETED. 155 



A cold wind was blowing from the northwest 

 and snow-flakes were filling the air next morning, 

 but Dyche was determined to secure a lamb and ewe 

 if possible. Saddling old Charlie, he rode five miles 

 west. About noon he saw two old ewes and a year- 

 ling. Jumping from the horse, he stalked the little 

 band which was working his way. They fed on 

 towards him until they were within sixty yards of 

 his hiding-place. Concluding that he could kill the 

 yearling with a load of shot from the shot-gun and 

 follow it up by killing a ewe with the rifle, the natu- 

 ralist opened fire and saw the yearling running at 

 full speed towards the timber as if nothing had hit it. 

 Snatching up the rifle he sent a ball after it, dropping 

 it at the edge of the timber. The ewes, of course, 

 were out of sight, and this incident caused Dyche ever 

 after to discard the shot-gun when hunting big game. 



As supplies were running short the specimens were 

 taken to Thorp's ranch, and the hunter outfitted for 

 another hunt after ewes and lambs. The trip to the 

 ranch and back to Camp North Star was made with- 

 out incident, and on the morning after the return 

 Dyche took an early start, and by sunrise was on the 

 flat top of a mountain where he had seen so many 

 indications of game. 



About ten o'clock a spot was reached where the 

 numerous signs showed that a large band of sheep 

 had been feeding recently. On the south side of the 

 mountain the wind and rain of summer and the 

 frosts of winter for centuries had been breaking off 

 masses of rock, which had accumulated in a sheltered 

 nook. The sheep had pawed out this soft, crumbling 



