56 THE WILDERNESS OF THE UPPER YUKON 



difficult to credit the vision and realize that even sheep 

 could so easily move about on the sides of apparent 

 precipices. Those below kept moving along and were 

 gradually approaching the top. Nearby conies were bleat- 

 ing, marmots were whistling, and twice a golden eagle 

 soared gracefully across the basin. The sheep con- 

 tinued to approach upward, quite unsuspicious of my 

 presence, while the lambs kept frisking about, now leaping 

 on rocks, now running together and butting, now chasing 

 each other and bleating. The ewes seemed indifferent 

 to their gambols, but occasionally one would run about 

 and sport with them. In such cases it was always one 

 of the younger mothers. One of the ewes was particu- 

 larly dark, even after making allowance for her stained 

 pelage. 



Nearer they came, directly toward me, while the small 

 band still continued plainly in sight on the cliffs opposite. 

 The ram was now in the lead and at length stood one 

 hundred and fifty feet directly below me as the ewes 

 came up around him. Pointing my rifle down over the 

 cliff, the barrel was almost perpendicular when I fired 

 at the centre of his shoulders. He dropped to a lying- 

 down position, panting and apparently about to roll over. 

 The ewes, not in the least alarmed at the report, looked 

 up, but none saw me, and some even continued feeding. 

 Thinking the ram was dying, I stood up, when seeing 

 me at once, they all ran across the steep side of the basin, 

 where it did not seem possible for even a sheep to find 

 a footing. The lambs easily followed, and in some way 

 all climbed over the crest. I was greatly surprised to 



