The Mountain Sheep 179 



there too has civilization arrived ; and you will 

 find divorces commoner than sheep and less 

 valuable. 



It is Gass whom I have cited above as to the 

 scant likeness between this wild so-called sheep 

 and the usual sheep of our experience ; and it 

 was Gass whose word I remembered this Sun- 

 day morning at Livingston, while I stood taking 

 my fill of observation. The ram, as his owner 

 had assured me, was in all truth quite " tyme " ; 

 and you could examine him as near as you 

 wished. I took hold of his rope and pulled him 

 to me, and rubbed his nose. Like a sheep? 

 I have already spoken of his long legs. I now 

 looked him over carefully for a sign of anything 

 in the nature of fleece. There was no sign. 

 Short hair, in texture not unlike the antelope's 

 and in color not far from that gray we see in 

 fishing-line, covered him close and thick. Upon 

 his neck and shoulders it merged with a very 

 light reddish brown, and on his rump it became 

 a patch much lighter, though not white. In fact, 

 the hue of his coat varied subtly all over him ; 

 and I am tempted to remark in this connection 

 that in describing the color of wild animals most 

 of us have been apt to make our assertions far 



