8o WATCHED BY WILD ANIMALS 



out looking where they leaped. The second 

 bound landed them upon an icy pitch where 

 everyone lost footing, fell, and slid several 

 yards to the bottom of the slope. All regained 

 their feet and in regular form ran off at high 

 speed. 



Accidents do befall them. Occasionally one 

 tumbles to death or is crushed by falling stone. 

 Sometimes the weaker ones are unable to get out 

 of deep snow. On rare occasions a mountain 

 lion comes upon them and slays one or several, 

 while they are almost helpless from weakness 

 or from crusted snow. A few times I have 

 known of one or more to be carried down to 

 death by a snowslide. 



While the sheep do not have many neighbours, 

 they do have sunny days. Often the heights, 

 for long periods, are sunny and snowless. Some- 

 times a storm may rage for days down the slopes 

 while the sheep, in or entirely above the upper 

 surface of the storm cloud, do not receive any 

 snow. Among their resident neighbours are 

 the cony, the white weasel, and flocks of rosy 

 finches and white ptarmigan. In these the sheep 

 show no interest, but they keep on the watch 

 for subtle foxes, bob-cats, and lions. 



Snowfall, like rainfall, is unevenly distributed. 

 At times a short distance below the snow-piled 

 heights one or both slopes are snowless; at 



