SEARCHING FOR SHEEP 117 



common annoyance because of the snow, which, though 

 it glistened in the sun and spread a sparkling white man- 

 tle over the country, adding beauty to the landscape, made 

 the mountain hunting most difficult and discouraging. 



September 12. Again I was in quest of rams, and 

 started early for the mountains at the head of the draw. 

 A heavy snow blizzard soon developed and continued at 

 intervals all day. For three miles I tramped through the 

 timber, then to the head, above which, in all directions, 

 numerous marmots were whistling among the broken 

 rocks. I climbed on the crest and after a brief glimpse 

 of the top, the snow beat down so hard that I could see 

 but a few yards, and was obliged to return, reaching camp 

 at dark. I had seen old bear tracks in the timber, and 

 had noticed old moose tracks everywhere on the moun- 

 tain slopes as high as the willows grew, which in some 

 places on the south exposures was nearly to the crest. 

 Selous had occupied his day by following for several 

 hours the tracks of a bull moose and two cows. The 

 tracks had led in a circle to his own trail made in the 

 morning. As the moose crossed it, he read on the snow 

 that they had broken into a trot, consequently he knew it 

 was useless to continue following. 



September 13. It rained and stormed all night and was 

 warmer the next morning. I climbed the ridges back of 

 camp, proceeded along the mountain slope, crossed the 

 meadows and followed a well-worn sheep-trail to the top 

 of the ridges beyond. Following the ridge against a 

 strong wind, while it continued to snow and rain alter- 

 nately, I found a bull moose's trail made the night before 



