THE BIGHORN IN THE SNOW 81 



other times, the summits are bare while the 

 lowlands are overburdened with snow. Sheep 

 appear quickly to discover and promptly to use 

 any advantage afforded by their range. 



One snowy winter an almost famished flock 

 of sheep started for the lowlands. Two thou- 

 sand feet lower the earth in places lay brown and 

 snowless in the sun. Whether this condition 

 led the sheep downward, or whether the good 

 condition of the lowland was unknown to them 

 and they came in desperation, I know not. 

 Already weak, they did not get down to timber- 

 line the first day. The night was spent against 

 a cliff in deep snow. The following morning a 

 dead one was left at the foot of the cliff and the 

 others struggled on downward, bucking their 

 way through the deep snow. 



In snow the strongest one commonly leads. 

 Sometimes sheep fight their way through snow 

 deeper than their backs. The leading one 

 rears on hind legs, extends front feet, leaps up- 

 ward and forward, throwing himself with a 

 lunge upon the snow. At an enormous cost 

 of energy they slowly advance. 



The flock that fought its way downward 

 from the heights took advantage of outcropping 

 rocks and, down in the woods, of logs which 

 nearly lifted them above the snow. Six of the 

 eleven who left the heights at last reached shal- 



