

Kt agf, the Kootenay Ram 



seemed that the Ram dropped back and now ran 

 the rearmost. A rugged stretch was reached, 

 and there the Sheep gained steadily, though 

 little. One, two, three miles, and the chase was 

 sweeping along the rocky ridge that ends in 

 the sudden gash of Skinkler's Gulch. A minute 

 more and the crowd of Sheep were rounded up 

 and cornered on the final rock. They huddled 

 together in terror, five hundred feet of dizzy 

 canon all around, three fierce Dogs and two 

 fiercer men behind. Then, a few seconds later, 

 old Krag dashed up. Cornered at last, he 

 wheeled to fight ; for the wild thing never 

 yields. 



He was now so far from the bounding Dogs 

 that two rifle-balls whistled near. Of the Dogs 

 he had no fears — them he could fight; but the 

 rifles were sure death. There was one chance 

 left. The granite walls of the Yak-in-i-kak 

 could prove no harder than the human foe. The 

 Dogs were within forty rods now, fine courage- 

 ous animals, keen for fight, fearless of death ; 

 and behind, the hunters, remorseless and al- 

 ready triumphant. Sure death from them, or 

 doubtful life in the gulch. There was no time 



72 



