4- WAITING IN THE WILDERNESS 



shesp, single file, came suddenly out of the 

 woods. They broke into a racing, romping gallop 

 and scattered toward a frozen-over water hole. 

 Eagerly they licked up the salty, alkaline dust 

 around the shore. Three little lambs stuck out 

 their tongues, smelled the ground, tasted it in- 

 differently, and then began to play. By and by 

 pairs of the older sheep played. They jumped, 

 butted, and, standing on hind legs, fenced lightly 

 and in a lively manner with their horns. 



Large holes had been licked into the earth 

 around this alkaline ooze to the depth of two or 

 three feet. Sheep, like most other hoofed ani- 

 mals, appear to be fond of salt and make long 

 journeys for it. These sheep lived on Battle 

 Mountain above timberline, about five miles from 

 this water hole. 



After watching this flock for some time I 

 started on for the top. There was no snow 

 around, and the sunny day was warm as is com- 

 mon for many of the winter days in the Rocky 

 Mountains. It was a warm climb up the steep 

 slope. I looked back down the slope with my 

 field glass. The old sheep were lying in the 

 sunshine and the three little lambs were racing 

 back and forth across the grassy opening which 

 was enclosed by pines. 



From the top of a bluff I looked down upon a 

 beaver colony. Several ice-bound ponds were 



