296 BIG GAME FIELDS 



with a black bear, all before breakfast, seemed to 

 me something like exceeding the speed limit. "I 

 take yo knife again he cut putty good," said 

 Mac, and he soon had the head and a good-sized 

 piece of meat ready to pack in. On reaching 

 camp we all had a hearty breakfast or perhaps 

 I might say lunch for it was then noon. After 

 getting dried out, and talking it all over, Mac 

 took a horse and packed in the head. 



The day dawned clear and cold. Sunrise found 

 us again with the pack train headed for the sheep 

 country. Slowly we climbed the bare face of the 

 mountain, high up above timber line. Ptarmigan 

 cackled and flew hither and yon. Patches of 

 white of their winter dress were already showing. 

 Whistling marmots sounded their plaintive 

 notes in everv direction. A fox barked and went 



t 



his way on some secret errand bent beware you 

 giddy ptarmigan! A hare rose up and limped 

 over a crest. All the furred and feathered dwell- 

 ers of the wild were busy very busy indeed 

 putting on fat and thick coats for the coming 

 winter. 



At length we reached the top of the divide. 

 Turning due east, the train straightened out and 

 we settled down for a long day's march across 

 the high, wind-swept, desolate moraine. A polar 



