HUNTING RAMS 225 



certain as to the nature of the object, he had seen me. 

 At the same time I saw the horns of the two others who 

 were lying down below facing me, the dark one with 

 black, curling horns to the right. 



Almost instinctively I lowered my head, and turning 

 on my back revolved in pivotal motion until my feet were 

 ahead. Then quickly rising in sitting posture, elbows 

 on knees, my rifle was pointed at the dark ram as it ap- 

 peared in the line of vision. All three quickly elevated 

 their heads with a jerk, but it was too late. Before they 

 could rise I had aimed at the breast of the dark ram 

 and the report echoed among the rocks as they all 

 sprang to their feet. The responding whack of the bullet 

 sounded before they began to dash upward, and I knew 

 that it had gone true. The dark one attempted to follow 

 but after five jumps fell dead. The others disappeared 

 in the break, but soon reappeared on the opposite slope, 

 which was one mass of protruding rocks and almost ver- 

 tical. I sat motionless and watched them. While still 

 within range of a long shot, they stopped and looked 

 back, as if wondering why the leader did not follow. 

 Then they ran upward in a series of jumps for a hundred 

 feet and stopped again. This method of ascending was 

 continued until they reached the crest, when again I had 

 before me that wonderful sight of the mountain ram 

 walking on the sky-line. I had noticed particularly their 

 attitudes. The large one seemed to be all elasticity. 

 His head was held straight up, his neck swelled out, his 

 back straight, his legs rigid. He reminded me of a strut- 

 ting cock. Thus appears the mountain ram under excite- 



