THE BIG-HORN, OR MOUNTAIN SHEER 411 



after sheep that I ever enjoyed came off in the snow-capped 

 "War Eagle Mountains, in Idaho. Being full of small cir- 

 cular valleys that teem with graminaceous verdure, and arc 

 watered by numerous streams, this chain affords an ideal 

 residence for the lordly big-horn ; and that its advantages 

 are appreciated is evident from the large number that fre- 

 quent it at all seasons. The party which I accompanied 

 consisted of three sturdy miners, a sporting merchant, and 

 a captain in the cavalry who was enjoying a short vaca- 

 tion. The miners were experienced tramps and veteran 

 Nimrods, having often been compelled to depend on their 

 rifles for food while out on prospecting tours; so we left 

 the provisioning of the detachment and the selection of the 

 route entirely to them. 



Starting out from a mining hamlet early in the morn- 

 ing, the evening of the same day found us encamped at the 

 base of the mountains ; and, as we had to be astir before 

 dawn, wo retired to our hard couch on the ground quite 

 early in the evening. Long before the sun began to ap- 

 pear above the eastern peaks the next morning, we were la- 

 boriously clambering up steep ascents or picking our way 

 through cavernous precipices, whose gloomy walls recalled 

 most forcibly the Plutonic regions. 



By five o'clock we had reached an altitude of four thou- 

 sand feet, according to the aneroid ; and there the princi- 

 pal guide informed us we were to remain while he went in 

 search of " signs." He returned in about half an hour, and 

 stated that he had discovered a flock of a dozen or more a 

 furlong above us, but that we should be compelled to make 

 a wide detour to get to their lee, in order to approach them 

 undetected. Our hearts beat wildly at this piece of good 

 news — at least mine did; so we examined our rifles care- 

 fully and saw that they were perfectly clean and properly 

 loaded. I was armed with a Winchester rifle, which car- 

 ried several bullets in the magazine, and I was resolved to 

 shoot them all at one animal rather than permit it to es- 

 cape. At the command we moved forward, and, after an 

 hour's severe struggling, approached the flock to within 



