Krag, the Kootenay Ram 



before, and this little one displaced Krag for 

 good and engrossed all the mother's attention. 

 He even hindered her in her duties as a leader ; 

 and one day, as she was feeding him and 

 watching the happy wagging of his tail, another 

 Sheep gave an alarm. All froze except Fidgets. 

 She crossed before the Wise One. There 

 was a far-away "crack/" Fidgets dropped 

 dead, and the Spikerdoe fell with a stifled baah ! 

 But she sprang to her feet, forgetting her own 

 pain, and looking wildly about her for her 

 Lamb, she leaped on the ridge to follow the 

 others. Bang! went the rifle again, and the old 

 Sheep got a first glimpse of the enemy. It was 

 the man who had once so nearly caught the 

 Lambs. He was a long way off, but the ball 

 whistled before the Sheep's nose. She sprang 

 back and changed her course, thereby leaving 

 the rest, then leaped over the ridge, bleating to 

 her little one to follow— bleating, too, from 

 pain, for she was hard hit. But she leaped 

 headlong down a rocky place, and the high 

 ground came between. Down the gully she 

 bounded, and out along the farther ridge, keep- 

 ing out of sight so well that, though Scotty ran 



53 



