CAMP FIRES IN THE YUKON 67 



and as the wind was blowing directly from us toward 

 him it looked like a futile effort; but we chose the 

 stalk from the rear and began a very difficult and 

 steep climb. Very gingerly we crept along among 

 the loose rock, avoiding the slightest sound and, top- 

 ping pinnacle, stood up to look for the ram. There 

 stood the ancient sheep twenty feet away, apparently 

 paralyzed with surprise ; I nodded to my companion 

 to shoot, if he so desired, and one shot from Hoyt's 

 Mauser finished this particular hunt. 



Both horns were broken off in front at a point 

 where the horn is six inches in circumference, and 

 the broken ends were " broomed " and frayed, 

 showing considerable use since the horns were 

 broken; but in spite of the imperfections, or rather 

 by reason of them, this is one of the most interest- 

 ing heads I have ever seen. The horns around the 

 base measured sixteen inches, the annular rings on 

 the horn which remains show ten years of age, and 

 the part broken off would show at least two more 

 annular rings; while very highly crystallized, the 

 texture was further indicative of extreme age. The 

 face was quite as interesting to the student of sheep, 

 as the scalp was scarred from a point just below the 

 horn all the way down the face and almost to the tip 

 of the nose ; only about half of his face was covered 

 with hair, the rest being hairless and irregular scars 

 where the scalp had been torn in the long past and 

 had then healed. 



