212 THE OX FAMILY 



about an hour, and besides being chilled by the high 

 mountain winds, though the sun was really shining 

 warm, I was growing tired ot the inactivity. I never had 

 very much patience in waiting for animals to come to 

 me (the great feature of an Indian's hunting), and I was 

 just thinking of abandoning my position when I heard 

 a low whistle, and looking around, saw the Indian beck- 

 oning. When I reached him he pointed to a patch of 

 snow almost a mile away, and, taking my glasses, I 

 could see two sheep, one standing and the other lying 

 down on the snow. It was then in the month of Au- 

 gust and the Indian remarked: 'Sun warm; big ram 

 heap fat; 'fraid his glease will melt.' 



" The two animals soon left the snow and worked 

 their way up the ridge to within a quarter of a mile of 

 us, and again lay down on a patch of snow, where they 

 remained, lying down most of the time for more than 

 three hours. I secured the pair just before sundown, and 

 they were so fat that I concluded the Indian was right; 

 they must have feared the sun would melt their fat." 



I have quoted the above paragraphs from Mr. Stone's 

 long and excellent paper, " The Mountain Sheep of 

 America," * since it contains the latest and best informa- 

 tion on these animals as they are seen in British Amer- 

 ica and Alaska. 



The habits of the different kinds of big-horn are the 

 same, and the methods of pursuit do not differ in any 

 mountains. It is a long climb, a high climb; often a 

 long wait, and at last, if fortune smiles, there is pre- 

 sented a good chance for a shot, and, if the aim be true, 

 a splendid trophy for the wall. 



* Outing. 



