CAMP FIRES IN THE YUKON 103 



went down the other snow slope and the hunters 

 ran down wind to within one hundred and fifty 

 yards of the rams that were plunging about in the 

 deep snow. Hoyt picked the largest and fired five 

 shots as the ram mounted toward the crest, two 

 shots went wide and two were hits, but the ram con- 

 tinued to run until the fifth shot put him out. While 

 they were engaged in taking off the scalp and horns, 

 the Indian and myself started for the willow patch 

 where we were to camp, and had hardly arrived 

 when Hoyt and Dixon came in, bringing the head. 

 This is the best specimen any of us have gotten: 

 the horns from base to point are symmetrical and 

 perfect, with a circumference measurement at base 

 of fourteen inches, a length of thirty-six inches and 

 twenty-seven inches spread; the annular rings show 

 seven years of age. 



We are camped at a willow patch only twenty 

 feet above the rocky river bottom, but we are a 

 number of miles above the last timber and there 

 is nothing to burn except a few willow sticks, for 

 which we organized a hunting party and collected 

 enough with which to build a small fire for supper 

 and a supply for breakfast. By adding chunks of 

 sheep and caribou fat to our willows we maintained 

 our fire long enough to fry some sheep meat and 

 boil our tea bucket; however, we have no fuel for 

 warmth and we are camped at an altitude of fifty- 

 three hundred feet and it is bitter cold, so we will 



