THE ROCKY MOrXTAIX SHEEP. 375 



The band of Sheej) we liad frightened the day before 

 seemed to have left this region, and not finding any otliers, 

 we returned to tlie rancli, and outfitting anew for ten days, 

 started for a Sheep country of wliieh we had heard a great 

 deal, and which lay forty miles to the northwest. This 

 was near the head of Ashanola Creek, a stream which rises 

 among the snow-clad, storm-swept crags of the Cascade 

 Mountains, in Northern Washington, flows north, and emp- 

 ties into the Similkimeen River in British Columbia. The 

 country drained by this stream is undoubtedl}' one of the 

 greatest Mountain Sheep ranges remaining on this conti- 

 nent. Nearly all the mountains and foot-hills in this por- 

 tion of the range have large, open plateaus and parks on 

 their tops or sides, which are covered with a luxuriant 

 growth of bunch-grass, affording good food for the wild 

 Sheep; and it seems that they have congregated here from 

 all other portions of the Cascade Range. They have made 

 this their home, their trysting-place, their breeding-ground, 

 and their pasture. In winter or summer, bands of them, 

 numbering anywhere from a dozen to fifty, may be seen 

 feeding or reposing in these parks, or on the rocky hill- 

 sides near them. 



On the 3d of November, we started for this great 

 Sheep-range. The first day out, we rode to an Indian 

 ranch on Ashanola Creek, four miles above its mouth, and 

 went into camp at three o'clock. We had just taken the 

 saddles and packs off the horses, when a wild-looking 

 squaw rode up to us and demanded two dollars for the 

 privilege of camping on her land. We objected to paying 

 such a price, but she was obdurate. We discussed the 

 propriety of saddling up and moving on, but the horses 

 were tired, and we didn't know how far we might have 

 to go to find another place where they could graze; so 

 we finally compronused with the " Kloochman" at a dollar 

 for the privilege of sleeping on her land over night. 



We pulled out early in the morning, and after riding an 

 hour, arrived at the foot of a high, steep mountain, up 

 which a trail went zigzagging and winding over rocks and 



