42 THE WILDERNESS OF THE UPPER YUKON 



After photographing the ram as he fell I made a 

 hollow in the rocks a few feet below, dragged him down 

 to it, and began taking off his skin. It soon began to 

 shower and grow cold with gusts of wind. Two ravens 

 circled about almost in frenzy as I worked, and at times 

 a golden eagle sailed along the crest and soared above. 

 Packing the skin and head in the rucksack, I descended 

 the precipitous and rocky east side of the peak to the 

 edge of the north rim, hoping to find some descent to 

 the basin below from which the divide pastures could be 

 gained. Resting every few steps on account of my load, 

 I finally reached the grass slope, which, after the rain, was 

 very slippery and managed to zigzag down to the gorge 

 of a stream at the foot of the mountain. While resting 

 there, what was my disgust to notice that my field-glasses 

 had been left above at the carcass, so it was necessary 

 to return for them. Again descending and picking up 

 my load I tramped two miles up the swampy, brush-cov- 

 ered ground across the next divide, and descended toward 

 camp. Lack of food, long hours of climbing, together 

 with the chill and wetting by showers, had so weakened 

 me that my legs almost gave out and obliged me to rest 

 every few steps while walking up the soft ground of the 

 divide. Camp was reached at 10.30 at night, and rest 

 before a large fire, food, and my pipe restored my 

 strength. 



The day before, Rungius, while climbing the south 

 range of the divide, had seen three rams running up a 

 round, smooth mountain on the north side and followed 

 them. They saw him, ran over on the other side, and 



