SEARCHING FOR SHEEP 113 



extending some two or three miles in level, swampy mead- 

 ows dotted with miniature lakes. 



The tracks of a ewe and lamb appeared on the top of 

 the mountain and I followed them along the crest. While 

 walking I flushed a large flock of ptarmigan already pure 

 white. The trail led down a slope so precipitous that I 

 could not descend. Several more flocks of ptarmigan 

 were seen flying about the rocks near the crests; a few 

 ground-squirrels were running about, and an eagle was 

 soaring back and forth against the background of snow 

 on the range immediately to the east. Below, about a 

 hundred yards above timber, I saw the tracks of a band 

 of ten or twelve sheep which had come from the north. 

 All along the trail they had scattered to browse among 

 the willows, and numerous bare spots indicated that 

 they had pawed away the snow to get at grass and 

 weeds. 



After searching, a difficult descent was found, and ac- 

 complishing it, I followed the trail until too late to pro- 

 ceed further. Returning to camp, which was reached 

 shortly after dark, I heard the cheering news that Selous 

 had killed two caribou, one a large bull with fine antlers, 

 and had seen a cow near them. But what was still more 

 interesting, he had seen a small band of ewe sheep which 

 appeared very wild, and among them had observed two 

 ewes, as white as those of the Ogilvie Rockies, each having 

 two lambs, three of which were white, the fourth as dark 

 as Ovis stonei! The men had returned and reported 

 having seen a small brown bear undoubtedly the brown 

 phase of the black bear. 



