TII1-: li(»CK\' .MOTNTAIXS 117 



pitched. A (Illicit dt'scciit ;iiiil a toilsome diiiil) l)r()iio-]it 

 thrill to tlic spot, and tlioii^h the search was dillieult, 

 owiiiL;- to the snowstorms, tliey at last o'ot even with 

 them, and (Torahl in a succession of (juick sliots iiiaiia!4'e(l to 

 liag two iine old rams and severely wound a third, wliieh 

 he I'ecovereil the followiii-'- dav. This ehano'c of luck 

 iiiduceil us td postpone '■pulliuu' (Hil " Inr two more days, 

 in the hope tliat tlie good lortuiieof'tlie son might he 

 extended to the father. Next day I was once more tan- 

 talised by junijting some rams whose track I liad followed 

 into a timbered c^nlo/?. I did not see them, but the iMninds 

 with which tlie\- had sprung IVuiu iheiL' beds, wJdeh I found 

 in the snow, left no doubt as to the cause of their de- 

 ]>arture. 



And now the last day and my last chance Innl arrived. 

 Three long days with the }»ack-train, thirty-six hours in a 

 mud waggon, and tinally the continental express, would 

 liareK leave two or three hours of margin before the sail- 

 ing of the " Cunarder," which we must catch to keep ]'ublic 

 engagements and private promises. It was now or never. 

 The best chance seemed to be to ti'v hioh and we deter- 

 milled to o'o straio'ht to the top of the serrated rido-e, 

 which rose tliree thousand feet above the camp, ami 

 diviiled our \;illey from the next creek. Tliis had some 

 cra<i2;V crround on its -lopes, which looke<l likely for sheei~) 

 if onl\' the weather had not driven ihein all down. Riding 

 up till we hail pas.sed tlu'ough the liniher. and the slope 

 became too steep, we left the horses aiitl took to (dimbing. 

 Tn three hours from cam]) we had reached the top, seeing 

 some oncourau'iug "sign" on tlie w,iv. We ]'troceeded 

 along the ridge, carefully si)ying on both sides, but a 



