Return to England 



which were two rams whose horns were small. 

 As I did not propose to shoot one I amused 

 myself by watching them for some time it was 

 interesting to see the two rams playing at 

 fighting. They stood close to each other, and 

 both simultaneously rose on their hind legs; 

 then instantly their horns met with a crash. 

 I would have given a lot to see a really fine pair 

 of old rams have a battle, but no such luck came 

 my way ; they were evidently keeping by them- 

 selves in twos and threes, good enough friends 

 for the time being, and until the eternal female 

 entered into their lives to stir up strife and 

 jealousy. 



I shot a black-tail deer or two whilst in this 

 camp, and poisoned several coyotes with strych- 

 nine I wanted the skins of the latter for a rug. 

 These beasts it is good to destroy by any means 

 in your power, for they are a great nuisance and 

 do a lot of damage to the settlers in the country. 

 The worst of it is that they are so extremely shy 

 and wary that trapping makes little or no 

 impression on their numbers, whereas poison is 

 picked up and bolted quite freely, and their 

 destruction is accomplished speedily without 

 the suffering entailed by the animal's struggles 

 whilst in an iron trap. 



I kept two of the haunches of the sheep I 

 killed, intending to take these back to England. 

 The weather was so cold that I could easily 

 u 289 



