BIGHORN-HUNTING IN THE CASCADES 



down the slope, while its two companions disappeared over the 

 rise. The head of the dead ram proved to be of fair size, 

 measuring fourteen and one-half inches around the base of 

 each horn. We hurriedly cut off this and two hams, and started 

 on the trail of the wounded ram. 



Manson, who had been low^er down the canon at the time, 

 claimed that this animal, which carried a fine head of horns, 

 had passed close behind me and stopped for an instant to gaze 

 at me, thirty yards distant, while I w-as shooting at the other 

 sheep. The tracks of the wounded ram were not discernible 

 among the rocks, but we managed to follow it for two 

 hours by the blood. Then we lost all traces of it in a 

 very rough and broken cafion, and turned campward. It was 

 after dark when we finally reached the tent with the head 

 and hams of the ram, and fried some of the delicious 

 blue grouse of this country for our long -delayed evening 

 meal. 



From a position a mile farther up the banks of Bridge River, 

 with the aid of the glasses, we had been able to watch an alkali 

 lick situated far up the cliffs, on the opposite side of the stream, 

 and resorted to by much game. Several times we had watched 

 bighorn standing on their hind legs on a narrow ledge below, and 

 licking the face of the blue rocks for a taste of salt. But so far 

 these had always been either ewes or lambs. However, two 

 days after the hunt described above, Manson came into camp 

 with the news that he had discovered a large ram at the lick. 

 Discarding all surplus clothing, and prepared for hard climbing, 

 we hurried along the mining-trail which followed the northern 

 shores of Bridge River. Stopping for a moment to view the 

 distant ram, which was climbing among the rocks in the vicinity 

 of the lick, we continued along the banks of the river to where 

 there was an Indian dugout with w^hich we could cross the 

 stream. Once on the opposite side, we commenced to zigzag 

 along the broken and timbered slope, disturbing many blue 



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