THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SHEEP. 383 



now bleeding profusely at nose and ears, and apparently 

 suffering great pain. Yet the terrible blows were given and 

 received with as great spirit and as unwavering courage as 

 at first. Finally, after a dozen or more rounds had been 

 fought, both, rams began to stagger and totter on their feet. 

 Still, there was no indication as to which would be the 

 victor. 



At this stage of the game, a restless partisan of one of 

 the contestants made a rush at the other, and striking him 

 squarely on the shoulder, knocked him down. ~No sooner 

 had he dealt the blow, than he in turn received a counter- 

 charge, from a champion of his victim, that sent him to 

 grass. These two then squared for each other, and the 

 fight at once became four-cornered. Shock after shock 

 resounded over the hills, and the sound of the blows was 

 like that made by powerful men breaking rocks with great 

 sledge-hammers . 



Finally, the original pair drew off, neither having 

 strength nor inclination to pursue the other; each stagger- 

 ing and reeling as if each step must be his last. The fresh 

 combatants hammered away at each other until they in 

 turn began to falter. But these were not so well paired as 

 the others, the one that first entered the lists for his friend 

 not being the equal of his antagonist in strength or staying 

 qualities. At every onset he was driven back, and more 

 than once was forced to his knees by the superior weight 

 and strength of his adversary. At last he was thrown 

 backward with such force that he fell prostrate on his side. 

 His antagonist followed up the advantage thus gained, and 

 when the unfortunate creature attempted to rise, struck 

 him a fearful blow that laid him out, to all appearances 

 stone-dead. The victor then walked away with his head 

 up, and thus the battle was ended. The vanquished ram 

 soon recovered, partially, and slowly regaining his feet, 

 staggered away and left the herd. 



Talk about your ancient battering-rams, your modern 

 Columbiads, and your Zalinski dynamite-guns! Give me 

 half a dozen of these wild battering-rams, lariated and 



