IN THE FAR WEST. 357 



the expedition we did not repine much ut their ill-luck. 

 Leaving this spot, we moved obliquely to the left and upward 

 in quest of more game, and, after travelling two or three miles, 

 came suddenly upon a flock of twenty or thirty, but before 

 we could recover from our surprise they were dashing away. 

 "We fired at random, little expecting any result from it; but we 

 were fortunate enough to get a splendid male, which was hit 

 right on the skull, and one ewe. This piece of good fortune 

 we attributed more to the numbers of the flock rather than to 

 any markmanship, so we felt little pride in our achievement, 

 for no one could tell who killed the animals. 



Our experience of the morning having taught us the follv of 

 a direct pursuit, we stored the game and moved on along the 

 original line of route. We had not proceeded more than a mile 

 before we met another flock; but as they were on the opposite 

 side of a precipice we could not approach them undetected. They 

 were at least five hundred yards away, and knowing we could 

 have little chance of killing any at that distance, we concluded to 

 test the range and accuracy of our rifles upon them. Selecting 

 a huge crag for a shelter, one of the miners fired, but his bullet 

 passed over them. Another tried it and he planted the ball 

 directly in their midst. This seemed to arouse them, as they 

 all jumped from the ground at the unusual apparition, then 

 stared wildly about. Several more bullets were then sent 

 among them, but instead of attempting to run away they only 

 began to stare and jump, and dance a queer sort of jig as the 

 balls whistled over, or tore up the ground beside them. One, 

 at length, got struck somewhere near the flank, and that 

 caused it to think the locality disagreeable if not dangerous, 

 so it gave a startled jump and dashed away, closely followed 

 by the others. As they were moving off we saw a sturdy ram 

 hastily run up the precipice and bound after them. "We could 

 not understand why the flock waited to be shot at several 

 times, but the unexpected presence of this veteran soon gave 

 the proper explanation. It was his privilege, apparently, to 

 lead all movements, and being absent in the canyon, perhaps 

 for the purpose of allaying his thirst, his charge did n<>t know 

 what to do without him ; but, like all sheep, when one moved, 



