104 The Wilderness Hunter. 



with the heart-shaped and delicate footprints of deer. 

 The animals had, according to their habit, beaten trails 

 along the summits of the higher crests ; little side trails 

 leading to any spur, peak, or other vantage-point from 

 which there was a wide outlook over the country round 

 about. 



The bighorns of the Bad Lands, unlike those of the 

 mountains, shift their range but little, winter or summer. 

 Save in the breeding season, when each master ram gets 

 together his own herd, the ewes, lambs, and yearlings are 

 apt to go in bands by themselves, while the males wan- 

 der in small parties ; now and then a very morose old 

 fellow lives by himself, in some precipitous, out-of-the- 

 way retreat. The rut begins with them much later than 

 with deer ; the exact time varies with the locality, but it 

 is always after the bitter winter weather has set in. Then 

 the old rams fight fiercely together, and on rare occasions 

 utter a long grunting bleat or call. They are marvellous 

 climbers, and dwell by choice always among cliffs and 

 jagged, broken ground, whether wooded or not. An old 

 bighorn ram is heavier than the largest buck ; his huge, 

 curved horns, massive yet supple build, and proud bear- 

 ing mark him as one of the noblest beasts of the chase. 

 He is wary ; great skill and caution must be shown in 

 approaching him ; and no one but a good climber, with 

 a steady head, sound lungs, and trained muscles, can suc- 

 cessfully hunt him in his own rugged fastnesses. The 

 chase of no other kind of American big game ranks higher, 

 or more thoroughly tests the manliest qualities of the 

 hunter. 



