GAME OF THE KENAI PENINSULA, ALASKA 
48^ 
ready stated, we noticed how quickly and 
unsuspiciously small and scattered bands 
of sheep descended and joined flocks al- 
ready feeding- in the valley. 
HOW the; big ram was photographed 
"At noon the lunch-box was opened, 
but before we had fairly made a start I 
saw a big" ram approaching- along a ridge 
from the direction of our camp. He 
came rapidly, with head up and mincing- 
steps, looking- ver}^ much like a small and 
sturdy caribou stag'. When in sight of 
the meadow he stopped and looked down 
for fully five minutes, occasionally scan- 
ning- the mountains on our side. 
"We feared that, like the others, he 
would turn away at the sight of the de- 
serted meadow. Tom, however, thought 
that the ram was most anxious to join a 
band of his fellows and might cross to 
our side in order to look for such be- 
yond. At any rate he soon started down 
toward the creek and we were in doubt 
as to his final destination. .Vt the edge 
of the bank he disappeared, and we then 
felt sure he would come along our ridge, 
but on which side was the question. 
"Several moments passed, and I feared 
he was then passing behind the blind, 
cut off by a wall of rock against which 
our backs were resting. Slipping the 
rtrap over my neck, which supported the 
heavy camera, I was just in the act of 
climbing over the top of the blind when 
Tom seized my arm. whispering: 'Good 
Lord, here he comes right at us.' 
"And there, stalking along most un- 
concernedly, was the ram, not 40 yards 
away, and, if not interrupted, would 
soon be gazing down into the blind. 
"The several portholes made for the 
camera all faced the meadow, for an in- 
vasion from any other quarter had not 
been looked for. When he got within 
75 feet I was in a quandary. To rise up 
nearly full length above the low wall of 
the blind meant his instant alarm, with 
no time to obtain the sharp focus neces- 
sary with such a big lens. 
"Holding my fire, I trusted to fate. 
At 50 feet he stopped, turned broadside, 
and nibbled at a sprig of vegetation. Si- 
lently and quickly, in one steady motion, 
I arose, with mv eves fixed on the focus- 
ing mirror instead of looking at the ram 
directly. On the ground glass I saw his 
head raised suddenly and turned my 
way. Quickly the milled head of the 
focusing screw brought him in focus and 
the focal-plane shutter clanged harshly. 
"But his white form had vanished 
when I raised my head, and, to Tom's 
and Charlie's inquiring glances, I could 
only sa}' that the effort was successful, 
provided the ram was not in air when 
the shutter revolved." 
It was two days before I went to 
Tom's cabin, and when darkness be- 
grudgingly came at 10 p. m. I dropped 
the negative into the developer and in a 
few minutes sav/ on the plate the big- 
ram, broadside, head up, gazing at the 
camera (see page 492). 
PECULIARITIES OF THE SHEEP 
The next and final day at the head of 
Benjamin Creek was reserved for study- 
ing and photographing a large flock of 
sheep, heretofore occupying the end of a 
ridge west of our tent and which always 
fed on a large circular meadow, nearly 
surrovmded by small canyons. 
At no time did the daily program vary. 
By 7 o'clock the entire flock of about 50 
descended the mountain, crossed a little 
creek, and then in bunches of six to a 
dozen scattered out over the meadow, 
feeding- not only on grass, but small 
bushes. Quite often some of these 
bands, containing many lambs, would 
work their way out to the edge of the 
meadow, fully three-quarters of a mile 
from the base of the mountains, so that 
their retreat could readily be cut ofl: by 
the intervention of a man with a rifle or 
by any fleet-footed predaceous animal. 
This, of course, meant an entire absence 
of molestation during- the season and 
probably for years. 
In the daily movement of the sheep on 
the stee]:»er mountains I noticed that in 
coming down they usually took an earth 
trail, however loose the soil or treacher- 
ous the shaly rocks. On their return 
the steepest clift's, if aft'ording a good 
foothold, were ascended in preference to 
the near-by trails used on their descent. 
The probable reasons, if my brief ob- 
servations warrant an opinion, were 
