ON THE SHEEP RANGES 43 



disappeared. Arriving at the top he saw a large band 

 of ewes feeding near, and killed four. Both he and 

 Osgood had returned to the same place with Spahr, 

 Gage, and two horses to bring back the meat. The 

 ewes were still loitering about, and Osgood had killed 

 one. The heads, skins, and meat had been brought 

 back to camp and the larder was well stocked. 



Some of the ewes killed were pure white ; others had 

 many gray hairs on the back, and stripes down the legs, 

 intermediate in color between Ovis dalli and Ovisfannini, 

 and all had black tails. 



July 20. The next day we all remained in camp, 

 skinning and preparing the specimens. In the morning, 

 after Rungius had made several sketches of my ram's 

 head, I skinned it. Jays now flocked about us in great 

 excitement, feeding on the raw meat and other camp 

 refuse. Red squirrels also were attracted, and mosqui- 

 toes were still with us. 



We were feasting on meat. To my taste the meat of 

 mountain sheep, killed between July and October, easily 

 excels that of any other game animal on this continent. 

 It is rich, fat mutton with a game flavor. Nor do I tire 

 of it as of venison; for a continuous diet never dimin- 

 ished my eagerness for it. After October, and until late 

 in June, it is not so good, and during the winter and 

 spring months very poor, quite without flavor. 



Until we left this camp the days were warm, some- 

 times hot, and at night the lowest temperatures registered 

 by the thermometer varied from twenty-eight to forty de- 

 grees above zero Fahrenheit. It never rained contin- 



