<* "V 



f~r . Kragf, the Kootenay Ram 





I | the pile in Scotty's shanty. When the earliest 



/^ \ snows of winter came, all the Lambs were 



weaned and doing for themselves, and the Ewes 

 were fat and flourishing, but, being free from 

 maternal cares, had thoughts for other matters. 

 With the early frosts and the bracing air came 

 the mating season, and, determined to find 

 their mates, the Sheep travelled about the like- 

 liest parts of the hills. 



Several times during the summer they had 

 seen one or two great Rams in the distance, but 

 an exchange of signals had made clear to each 

 what the other was, and they had avoided each 

 other's company. But now, when a pair of 

 large Sheep were sighted, and the usual sig- 

 nals exchanged, there seemed no sign of a 

 wish to avoid each other. As the two tall 

 strangers came on, their great size, majestic 

 forms, and vast curling horns left no doubt 

 as to their sex, and, proud of their honors and 

 powers, they pranced forward. But the for- 

 wardness of Spikerdoe and her band now 

 gave place to a decided bashfulness. They 

 turned as though to avoid the newcomers. 

 This led to pursuit and to much manoeuvring 



50 



