222 HUNTING IN THE ARCTIC 



Nevertheless we decided to lie for a time where we 

 were, in the hope that the sheep might change their 

 position and give us an opportunity. In fact if they 

 moved almost anywhere else it might enable us to stalk 

 them successfully. 



From our position we were not able to see the side of 

 the hill imanediately below where we were lying, as a 

 little fault in the ground jutted up and shut off the lower 

 part of the hillside. 



While we lay there looking across to the next ridge 

 toward which we had been headed, suddenly four rams 

 walked into view up the slope from a place of conceal- 

 ment above the meadow where the first troop of sixteen 

 had been observed. Two of these were fully as large as 

 those in the herd below, and as they marched with slow 

 and stately stride up the little ridge, holding their heads 

 very erect and stiffly drawn back, I rubbed my eyes to 

 make sure that these newcomers were not four from the 

 lower lot of sixteen. But a glance showed that they were 

 a different group entirely. We decided at once to try to 

 get them and so soon as they had walked over the ridge 

 and disappeared on the other side we started to cross the 

 gulley between us. 



Hardly had we run half the distance, however, when 

 we discovered three more at the place where these four 

 first showed: one ram and two ewes. The former was 

 lying down chewing his cud. By this time we had 

 crossed the bottom of the gulley and were a short way 

 up the opposite hillside. We stopped, half turned and 

 looked back. 



Then for the first time we saw, lying lower down on 

 the very slope that we had last been sitting upon, two 

 good rams asleep. One was facing us, the other headed 



