384 BIG GAME OF ^OKTH AMERICA. 



trained to the work, and I'll take a contract to knock down 

 the walls of Jericho in seven minutes, by the watch. 



I had followed up this band with the intention of kill- 

 ing one or moie of them; but these old rams, by their great 

 courage, fortitude, and consequent suffering, had won 

 immunity from my rifle, and I allowed tliem to go their 

 way in peace. There were no others in the herd that I 

 cared for, so I went in quest of another band. 



In the afternoon, I went to a large park that lay about a 

 mile to the southeast. Crawling to the top of a ridge, 

 whence I could command a good view of the entire prairie, 

 and peering over, I saw a bunch of six Sheex) h'^^S down, 

 very near where I had killed the ewe the day before. There 

 were two rams in the lot — one two-year-old, and one large 

 one with a line pair of horns. I decided to shoot at the 

 two-year-old first, and take the chances on the old ram 

 afterward. 



I supposed that after the first shot they would jump up 

 and stand for a moment, as they usually do, trying to 

 determine whence the report came, before running. In 

 order to get within easy range, I had crawled to the same 

 big fir-tree from which I had shot the day before, and draw- 

 ing a coarse bead on the shoulder of the young ram, fired. 

 They all sprung to their feet, and started at once for the 

 precipice beyond, which seemed to be their place of refuge 

 at all times when alarmed. 



The two-year-old fell dead after making two or three 

 bounds, but the remaining five were going like the wind. 

 I took a running-shot at the old patriarch just as they 

 reached the jumj)ing-off place, and as he disapi^eared I saw 

 a hind leg swinging from side to side, like the i)endulum of 

 a clock, but rather faster. I followed them down the steep 

 mountain-side a short distance, and looking carefully ahead 

 of me through the brush and rocks, I saw the big, dark 

 eyes of the wounded ram glaring at me over a ledge of 

 rocks, not more than a hundred feet below. He had 

 apparently stopped and turned to see what it was that had 



