126 The Wilderness Hunter 



after the bitter winter weather has set in. Then the 

 old rams fight fiercely together, and on rare occa- 

 sions utter a long grunting bleat or call. They are 

 marvelous climbers, and dwell by choice always 

 among cliffs and jagged, broken ground, whether 

 wooded or not. An old bighorn ram is heavier than 

 the largest buck ; his huge, curved horns, massive yet 

 supple build, and proud bearing mark him as one of 

 the noblest beasts of the chase. He is wary; great 

 skill and caution must be shown in approaching 

 him; and no one but a good climber, with a steady 

 head, sound lungs, and trained muscles, can success- 

 fully hunt him in his own rugged fastnesses. The 

 chase of no other kind of American big game ranks 

 higher, or more thoroughly tests the manliest quali- 

 ties of the hunter. 



I walked back to camp in the gloaming, taking 

 care to reach it before it grew really dark; for in 

 the Bad Lands it is entirely impossible to travel, or 

 to find any given locality, after nightfall. Old Mani- 

 tou had eaten his fill and looked up at me with 

 pricked ears, and wise, friendly face as I climbed 

 down the side of the cedar canyon; then he came 

 slowly toward me to see if I had not something for 

 him. I rubbed his soft nose and gave him a cracker ; 

 then I picketed him to a solitary cedar, where the 

 feed was good. Afterward I kindled a small fire, 

 roasted both prairie fowl, ate one, and put the other 

 by for breakfast; and soon rolled myself in my 



