THE DESERT BIGHORN 141 



they are far out of sight. They are very active 

 and sure-footed animals, their capacity for 

 exertion is almost illimitable, and on such 

 occasions they do not hesitate to descend by 

 seemingly impossible leaps to the shelf-like 

 ledges far down the steep walls of the slotlike 

 gorges of their mountain home. The lambs are 

 able to follow their parents down the steepest 

 cliffs without the least difficulty. To pursue 

 the sheep to such dizzy positions is almost 

 impossible or too laborious and hazardous for 

 the most brave-hearted gunmen. 



There is something incredible in the story 

 that bighorns in jumping over cliffs alight on 

 their horns, and those who have really become 

 acquainted with these animals in their wild 

 home will not venture to tell such tales about 

 them. In fact, such persons are emphatic in 

 their denials of such foolish and fanciful state- 

 ments. 



Almost incessant hunting by Indians, pros- 

 pectors, and lawless professional hunters has 

 so reduced the original bands of desert sheep 

 that few large flocks remain. The automobile 

 has now enabled the undiscriminating city 



