76 ZOOLOGICAL SKETCHES. 



bastion of a military post in the neighborhood of the 

 town the soldiers could often see a herd of cimarrons 

 frolicking about and cropping the grass at the brink of 

 an inaccessible plateau. They used to disappear at the 

 approach of the dry season, — on account of the meagre 

 pasture, as it seemed, till it was discovered that in dry 

 summers the plateau could be reached through the 

 ravine of a creek which formed a series of cascades 

 during the larger part of the year. Nearly every herd 

 of our higher sierras has such a place of refuge, which 

 they never approach by a direct way if they can hope to 

 elude the pursuer by leading him a long chase through 

 the rock-labyrinth of the lower cliffs. The ewes of a 

 flying herd invariably bring up the rear, for fear of losing 

 their lambs; and the American sportsman therefore 

 makes it a rule to fire upon the first head in the troop, 

 unless he can single out the males by their broad horns 

 and stouter necks. If this rule were observed by the 

 Mexican hunters it would explain the fact that in the 

 Southern sierras, as well as in the Northwest, old rams 

 are often met alone at a considerable distance from the 

 regular pasture-grounds of their relatives. An old 

 bachelor of this sort is almost unapproachable, and has 

 a knack of disappearing like a mountain-sprite, or man- 

 ages to frequent the borders of civilization for years 

 before his existence is suspected by the next neigh- 

 bors. A herd with nursing ewes cannot hide their 

 tracks in that way ; what with indiscreet youngsters 



