2i6 THE ADVENTURES OF A NATURE GUIDE 



Dall DeWees, the world-wide naturalist and hun- 

 ter, has another sheep story. He sat behind a news- 

 paper near a hotel group who were telling hunting 

 incidents and discussing alleged natural history. 

 It was too much for him when someone told how the 

 Bighorn mountain sheep use their horns for shock- 

 absorbers. He quietly interrupted with: "Gentle- 

 men, I had a Bighorn sheep experience near my 

 mountain home. Walking along the bottom of the 

 deep, narrow Arkansas River cafion one day a few 

 bits of granite fell at my feet. I saw on the upper 

 rim a number of mountain sheep, and as I looked 

 up the leader, an old ram, dived over." Here 

 Dall paused and someone wanted to know what 

 became of the sheep. "Oh," said Mr. DeWees, 

 "he saw me and turned around and went back." 



Without a knowledge of natural history a per- 

 son with a gun is likely to get his wild-life classifica- 

 tions wrong and take a shot at something out of 

 season. Once I was quietly watching a dignified 

 social gathering of pelicans in a pond when a hunter 

 from the rear took a crack at me. He made haste 

 to apologize with the explanation that he mistook 

 me for a goose. 



Those who are not up on wilderness etiquette 

 have gossiped most unfairly about the skunk. 

 First of all, he is ever ready for society, his company 

 manners in constant use — never mislaid; he is well 

 groomed; makes no advances unless introduced; 

 and he meets visitors face to face. The skunk 



