RAMS AND CARIBOU 



manv as of ewes) bore strong testimony to the 

 terrible toll that the eagles take of the young 

 sheep. I mentally resolved at sight of this con- 

 vincing evidence to begin a new and unending 

 warfare on these piratical birds. While their 

 damage to sheep life is proverbial, even in the 

 States, I don't believe any given area in Mon- 

 tana or Wyoming has one-tenth the number of 

 eagles that is found in a similar area in Alaska 

 and Yukon Territory. They are to be seen there 

 almost continually. Bounties on eagles should 

 be placed sufficiently high as to reduce their 

 number below the present point of danger to 

 mountain sheep and other game. The present 

 bounty on these birds in Alaska is only 50 cents 

 it could better be $5.00. 



As we were after rams, the pastoral scene be- 

 low had no interest for us beyond the enjoyment 

 of it and the instructive feature connected with 

 it; therefore, we reluctantly turned from the 

 beautiful spectacle and faced toward the bolder 

 summits of ramland. We crossed a "saddle" 

 and soon found ourselves on top of a very rugged 

 peak with precipitous, black sides. To the far- 

 ther point of this we walked and took a peep into 

 the abyss, or canon, below. The first glance dis- 

 closed six nice rams lying together on a grassy 

 slope, 1,000 feet below and almost immediately 

 beneath us. It was now 1 130 p. m. and Cap felt 

 a little dubious about our making the stalk and 

 getting our rams in any seasonable time at all. 



169 



