234 SPORT AND TRAVEL PAPERS 



on the lower ground. There were a few ptarmigan not yet quite 

 white, otherwise bird life was noticeable only by its almost 

 entire absence, especially in the forests below, where only a few 

 foolhens and moosebirds were to be seen on rare occasions. 



On our first day in this upper valley we saw a flock of sheep 

 feeding at the foot of a mountain and tried to stalk them, 

 crawling on hands and knees and in various other uncomfort- 

 able attitudes, only to find that the outposts which we had not 

 noticed, being almost the exact colour of the ground and 

 motionless, had given the alarm having first, no doubt, 

 watched the extraordinary antics of the bipeds below and 

 disappeared over the crest of the mountain. We tried to cut 

 them off, but although we saw them again through our glasses 

 and admired and coveted the two splendid big-horns, they never 

 came within range. We had several stalks after others, but 

 only got a small ram ; never succeeding in getting above them, 

 it seemed impossible to approach sufficiently near from below, 

 the males were far too well guarded. 



On one occasion C. and I walked alone, one on each side of 

 a narrow valley, which indeed had almost been filled up by huge 

 blocks of rock fallen from the mountains forming it. Noticing 

 some very fresh sheep spoor I went on, and climbing up on to 

 one of the boulders saw a small marsh some way beyond and 

 four ewes and two rams feeding in it. Quietly slipping down 

 I went on very cautiously to the last rock, fully satisfied that my 

 chance of a shot at a ram was at last about to offer, but to my 

 intense disgust the swamp was empty when I peered round the 

 boulder and the sheep already half-way up the mountain 

 opposite. This was a great disappointment, but to attempt to 

 follow them across the marsh was useless and very nearly so to 

 try and approach them by scrambling over the long, noisy stone- 

 slide, at the further end of which they stood and where only an 

 occasional rock, rising beyond the others, offered a doubtful 

 hiding-place. 



After a consultation, C. and I agreed to attempt it, however, 

 and off we clattered and slipped and stumbled over the field 

 of loose stones until from a rock sufficiently large enough to hide 

 us we had a look around. There about 400 yards away lay the 

 big ram, and standing close to him the smaller one on the look- 

 out. They had not seen us but were intently watching the 



