"OMINGMONG!" THE MUSK-OX! 299 



I passed some dead and wounded calves that the dogs 

 had overtaken and attacked. Short of breath, my 

 nose bleeding from the effect of unusual exertion 

 and high altitude, I finally turned a point of rock, 

 and there, twenty yards away, thirteen noble musk- 

 oxen were at bay. They stood tails together, heads 

 down, in defensive formation. Whenever a dog ap- 

 proached too closely, one of them charged and im- 

 mediately backed again into his place in the ranks. 



While I recovered breath and composure of mus- 

 cles, I studied their tactics and movements and made 

 some camera exposures before beginning to shoot; 

 but I could not delay long, for two of the over- 

 venturesome young dogs had already been gored to 

 death, another badly wounded, and all were in great 

 danger from the sharp horns of the animals. 



The round-up, though near the top of the ridge, 

 was still in so steep a place that as my shots took 

 effect and the animals fell, their bodies rolled down 

 into the valley, hundreds of feet below, gaining great 

 impetus before they reached the bottom. Thus 

 seven of them were killed, when suddenly and with- 

 out warning, as though by prearranged plan, the re- 

 maining six sprang from the ledge upon which they 

 had made their stand and were off at a terrific rush 

 along the glassy hillside. My footing was so insecure 

 that it would have been foolhardy for me to have 

 attempted to run. 



I handed my rifle to the excited and anxious Eisee- 

 you, and nimbly as a hare he was after them, keeping 

 his equilibrium in a most marvelous and inexplicable 



