WITH THE COUGAR HOUNDS 3 



ful, but which, unless better protected, will follow the elk 

 in the next few decades. I am happy to say that there are 

 now signs to show that the State is waking up to the need 

 of protecting both elk and deer; the few remaining 

 mountain sheep in Colorado are so successfully pro- 

 tected that they are said to be increasing in numbers. In 

 winter both elk and deer come down to the lower country, 

 through a part of which I made my hunting trip. We 

 did not come across any elk, but I have never, even in 

 the old days, seen blacktail more abundant than they were 

 in this region. The bucks had not lost their antlers, and 

 were generally, but not always, found in small troops 

 by themselves; the does, yearlings, and fawns now al- 

 most yearlings themselves went in bands. They seemed 

 tame, and we often passed close to them before they took 

 alarm. Of course at that season it was against the law 

 to kill them ; and even had this not been so none of our 

 party would have dreamed of molesting them. 



Flocks of Alaskan long-spurs and of rosy finches 

 flitted around the ranch buildings ; but at that season there 

 was not very much small bird life. 



The midwinter mountain landscape was very beauti- 

 ful, whether under the brilliant blue sky of the day, or 

 the starlight or glorious moonlight of the night, or when 

 under the dying sun the snowy peaks, and the light clouds 

 above, kindled into flame, and sank again to gold and 

 amber and sombre purple. After the snow-storms the 

 trees, almost hidden beneath the light, feathery masses, 

 gave a new and strange look to the mountains, as if 

 they were giant masses of frosted silver. Even the 



