IN THE ALASKA-YUKON GAMELANDS 



The day was clear and comparatively calm, and 

 Cap guessed that if we could slide off the moun- 

 tain on the east side (the rams were south of us) 

 the wind would be in our favor for the stalk. A 

 look down the east side showed it to be a rather 

 precarious drop. In fact, we might .find that it 

 could not be made at all. For over 200 feet from 

 the top the drop was almost perpendicular. 

 Only by following fissures and taking advantage 

 of projecting "steps" could we hope to descend. 

 Cap didn't think we could make it, but we per- 

 severed, and finally found ourselves successfully 

 worming our way down. Once this ledge was 

 negotiated, the rest seemed easy. We were soon 

 down on the steep, grassy slopes where the un- 

 even contours afforded excellent stalking ground. 

 We approached to within 500 yards of the 

 bunch, which by this time had arisen and were 

 working in a quarterly direction our way, slowly 

 feeding. They were moving like snails, or so it 

 seemed to the two hunters located eleven miles 

 from permanent camp who expected to get in 

 before midnight. They were feeding toward a 

 slight rise, and as their course would take them 

 below and beyond it, we awaited eagerly the 

 time when the little knoll would cover them, ex- 

 pecting at that moment to make a dash for some 

 projecting rocks a couple of hundred yards 

 nearer them. We dared not now make such a 

 sneak for fear of exposing ourselves. From their 

 present snail-like progress we surmised it would 



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