AFTER BIG-GAME IN WYOMING 205 



having rounded up the cows, proceeded to decide the 

 right of their possession by the time-honoured test of 

 a fight. A prettier sight I have seldom seen. I 

 watched the combat through the glass until one of the 

 bulls turned and fled, leaving the victor sole possessor 

 of a large harem. 



Having somewhat recovered from our exertions, 

 and Jack being of opinion that we had had a ' strong- 

 adjective' of a time with the sheep, our thoughts 

 naturally turned to lunch. We rode slowly down and 

 round the hill towards a convenient stream at its foot, 

 with the heads of the three rams already killed. 

 But our morning's sport was not yet over. A solitary 

 ram was shortly spied on the reverse slope evidently 

 a good one, with a fine head. Again leaving my 

 companion with the horses, I approached through the 

 rocks and cover to within 150 yards, and for the 

 fourth and last time that day managed a clean kill ; 

 though at the shot the rani moved round the hill out 

 of sight, and I thought at first I had missed him. 

 Finding and following a strong blood-trail, we found 

 him a few hundred yards distant, stone-dead, shot 

 just over the heart. We returned slowly to camp 

 that afternoon, with a pair of big-horn heads slung 

 behind each saddle. 



For some weeks after this we proceeded to work 

 slowly north and west through the range, camping 

 here and there for a few days at a time, adding 

 steadily to our pile of furry bearskins and curved 

 Ovis montana heads meanwhile, and at the same time 

 steadily reducing our stock of groceries. Our pack- 

 horses were now in good working trim, and gave us 

 no trouble, with the exception of one old piebald 

 Indian pony that, in spite of much correction, never 



