io 4 WAITING IN THE WILDERNESS 



peatedly crowded the sheep toward a steep slope 

 or into a narrow gully. After cutting the sheep 

 off from help, the lion's game evidently was to 

 wear it out. 



At one point of vantage the lion lay down; 

 but not for long. The sheep climbed a precipi- 

 tous crag and made a dash up the slope. It nar- 

 rowly missed passing the lion, but was again 

 crowded down the mountain. After this bold 

 move the sheep's tracks indicated that it was 

 tiring; it made fewer dashes, and the lion crowded 

 closer. Finally, after a few hours of effort, the 

 strategic lion crowded the sheep more than a 

 mile down the snowy slope and leaped upon it. 



After a feast the lion climbed a near-by cliff 

 and lay for some time. He returned to his kill 

 for another feed; then, leaving the remains, edged 

 around the side of the mountain. He came into 

 his up-going tracks at timberline a short dis- 

 tance below where I had discovered them. After 

 a quarter of a mile the tracks were lost among 

 bare rocks; among these rocks he may have had 

 a den. 



Much that is known concerning the character 

 of the lion has been learned from his tracks; 

 he is so watchful that rarely is he seen in action. 

 His tracks show that he is extremely curious, 

 that he investigates many things of no great 

 concern to him. He constantly strives, like a 



