7 o THE WILDERNESS OF THE UPPER YUKON 



thus repeating my trip of a few days before, in the hope 

 that some of the rams had returned. During the ascent 

 the field-glasses revealed a good-sized ram, with several 

 ewes and lambs just under the peak of the conical moun- 

 tains. After feeding awhile they lay down close to the 

 peak, and I started to walk along the crest, with the 

 intention of stalking them when they began to feed later 

 in the afternoon. 



When I reached the top of the spur and looked beyond, 

 Rungius was seen coming on a stalk directly over the 

 peak, well within range, but not in sight of the ram. 

 The ewes below, apparently having seen him, had risen 

 and were quite uneasy; they suddenly jumped and ran 

 around the peak before he could get a shot. Osgood 

 then appeared, standing farther along the crest, and after 

 Rungius motioned to him, both soon disappeared over 

 the top. I kept on to the top of the mountain, noticed 

 that the caribou carcass had not been disturbed and also 

 that the carcass of the first ram I had killed was still 

 untouched except by ravens and eagles. 



Later I saw Rungius approaching along the crest 

 and, hailing him, we soon met. He told me that soon 

 after I had seen him, he and Osgood had observed five 

 rams lying under a cliff, but the rams had seen them 

 before they could shoot, and were running when they 

 fired at a distance of four hundred yards, both emptying 

 their magazines without result. Osgood had gone after 

 them, and Rungius and I started back to the main camp, 

 but were overtaken by a very heavy rainstorm and thor- 

 oughly soaked. 



