202 THE WILDERNESS OF THE UPPER YUKON 



as the first sheep came upon the snow, I saw the bear's 

 head rise up, until, as they stood still, it went down and 

 the bear remained asleep long after they had gone over 

 the crest. 



After eating some lunch, I followed the sheep-trail 

 for some distance along the crest, when I saw on an 

 opposite mountain, separated from the one on which I 

 was walking by a deep, narrow valley, a large band of 

 sheep feeding well up the side. I counted about eighty 

 in all, mostly ewes and lambs, with a few small rams. 

 Descending over the steep, broken rock talus to a ridge, 

 I walked along it until the sheep were not more than five 

 hundred yards distant in a straight line across the valley, 

 and, concealing myself among the rocks, I watched them. 

 Some were feeding, some lying down. About ten three- 

 year-old rams kept together, slightly separated from the 

 rest. A hundred yards above was an old ewe lying on 

 the slope, keeping an alert watch both up and down. In 

 half an hour, when another old ewe walked up to her, 

 she rose and went down to feed among the others, while 

 the ewe above lay down to replace her as the "sentinel" 

 to protect the band. 



As the "sentinel"! Never was the posting of guards 

 better illustrated; and what a positive conclusion one 

 could have drawn if not especially aroused to continue 

 watching and observing! Half an hour passed, while the 

 sheep below were feeding, resting, always alert, and on 

 the lookout for danger; the lambs were nursing and frisk- 

 ing. Then the "sentinel" rose, descended, and mingled 

 with the others, leaving none on guard in her place! 



