li)it^ (mountain ^geep 



life in a barbed-wire fence. He and a number 

 of other rams had fed, then climbed to the top 

 of a small crag by the roadside. While they were 

 there, a man on horseback came along. Indif- 

 ferently they watched him approach; but when 

 he stopped to take a picture all but one fled 

 in alarm, easily leaping a shoulder-high fence. 

 After a minute the remaining ram became ex- 

 cited, dashed off to follow the others, and ran 

 into the fence. He was hurled backward and 

 one of his curved horns hooked over a wire. 

 Finding himself caught, he surged desperately 

 to tear himself free. In doing this a barb severed 

 the jugular vein. He fell and freed his horn from 

 the wire in falling. Rising, he ran for the crag 

 from which he had just fled, with his blood 

 escaping in great gushes. As he was gaining the 

 top of the crag he rolled over dead. 



A flock which is often divided into two, one 

 of ewes and one of rams, lives on the summit of 

 Battle Mountain, at an altitude of twelve thou- 

 sand feet, about four miles from my cabin. I 

 have sometimes followed them when they were 

 rambling. About the middle of one Septem- 



41 



