GAME OF THE KENAI PENINSULA, ALASKA 



485 



these : (a) On the descent the loose soil 

 and tumbling rocks accelerated instead 

 of retarded the progress of these sure- 

 footed animals, while returning such 

 conditions had the opposite effect, and 

 (b) in the jumping down from ledge to 

 ledge of animals weighing from lOO to 

 250 pounds, a slip or the breaking of the 

 ledge was much more likely than when 

 ascending a cliS, because each upward 

 jump was made with the lightness and 

 accuracy of a bird. 



I had noticed, moreover, that at noon 

 some of the sheep often returned for a 

 rest on a lower slope of the ridge. There 

 was no way of making a blind on the 

 meadow without alarming them all, ex- 

 cept during the night, and this would 

 have been a difficult undertaking, so I 

 planned getting on the ridge during the 

 morning and after all the sheep had 

 gone to the meadow, when there would 

 be a chance for pictures in case any re- 

 turned at noon and, with a greater cer- 

 tainty, as they assembled toward night 

 in the vicinity of the blind. 



After breaking camp in the morning, 

 Charlie continued on down the valley 

 with his pack to the cabin, while Tom 

 and I left ours near the pond, where we 

 intended wading the outlet stream, so 

 as to reach the base of the ridge at a 

 point where nothing could see us from 

 the meadow. This stream proved much 

 deeper and swifter than it looked at a 

 distance. While not objecting to a wet- 

 ting, we feared being carried off our 

 feet, with the resultant injury or loss of 

 the photographic outfit. It is in just 

 such cases that a rifle will stand much 

 more ill-usage than a camera. Nearly 

 an hour was spent gathering and throw- 

 ing flat stones into the swift water until 

 a secure footing was obtained. 



On reaching the edge of the ridge, at 

 a point about 200 feet above the meadow, 

 we could see many scattered bands of 

 sheep ; but, to our disappointment, a 

 dozen sheep were now coming along in 

 single file toward the ridge, and were 

 then too close for us to pass around and 

 get in a position to meet them on their 

 ascent, so there was nothing to do but 

 to await developments. 



In a few minutes they had jumped the 



creek, one lamb falling over backward 

 into the water, much to the indignation 

 of its mother, who stamped her feet vig- 

 orously as her bedraggled offspring en- 

 deavored to climb the steep bank. With 

 a single and later exception, this was the 

 only time any sheep, big or little, proved 

 awkward or careless. 



PHOTOGRAPHING THE SENTINEL EWE 



When the band finally came up the 

 slope they were soon lost to sight and 

 we waited until they had time to reach a 

 resting place. On climbing to the rim I 

 saw the flock about 200 yards to the left 

 and on the same level. Ah were lying 

 down but one, evidently the sentinel. 



After carefully studying the approach 

 and figuring on the possibilities of re- 

 maining concealed, Tom assured me 

 "that with ordinary crawling agility one 

 could get within 50 feet." But as Tom 

 could crawl like a serpent, climb like a 

 squirrel, and had the equipoise and 

 jumping ability of an ibex, his encour- 

 agement was of a doubtful character. 



Experience had taught me, however, 

 that while it was important not to be 

 seen approaching, it was equally im- 

 portant, when armed with a camera, to 

 know the exact position of the animals 

 in relation to the last cover sought. 



Having determined this I started on 

 all fours, a mode of travel rendered 

 more difficult by being compelled to push 

 the heavy camera ahead. When the final 

 rock was reached, I very slowly pushed 

 a piece of small brush to the top of the 

 rock and then raising my head looked 

 through it. This method, if observed by 

 animals near at hand, might excite a puz- 

 zled interest, but even so is safer than 

 the appearance of a human head a few 

 yards away. 



The sheep were lying in a row, less 

 than 20 yards off, and the sentinel ewe 

 was standing, with a little lam_b at her 

 feet, while l3 the right was a large ewe 

 lying down and the rest near by. I could 

 see that it was impossible for the plate 

 to cover them all and be in proper focus. 

 Then came the idea of getting the sen- 

 tinel ewe and lamb, thus supplementing 

 the picture of the big ram and complet- 

 ing the family group. In a moment the 



