898 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



tpices. During the feeding hours, when a 

 getlier, one— generalrj a sturdy, vigilant male 



— mounls guard Oil au elevated knoll or ruck wMcll 

 gives Iubj an extended view of his surroundimrs, 

 and us Soon as he fletects the presence of a foe, or any unusual 

 Object, he Rounds ;ui alarm and all scamper off to the highest 

 summits at their best pace. They hound from eras lo crag, 

 and vault chasms with (he greatest ease, aud, if pressed, do 

 not hesitate to plunge headforemost into a gloomy precipio 

 deep enough, apparently, to shatter them into fragments. As 

 they always escape unharmed, one is apt to believe the tales of 

 the Indians— that they can leap on a crag a hundred or two 

 feet below, and, striking it on their horns, rebound to their 

 feet none the worse for the concussion. Having never seen 

 them perform this feat I am unable to vouch for its accuracy ; 

 but I can say that I have seen them make, some terrific 

 plunges and escape injury. "When the scamper occurs, the 

 lord of the flock leads it, and the young males form the rear 

 guard. The lambkins and their dams are marshalled in the. 

 centre. During a stampede it is often quite difficult to tell 

 the male from the female, both having horns alike, the main 

 difference being that the appendages of a full grown ewe do 

 not exceed in size those of a two-year-old ram." In selecting 

 subjects for the dining table, one'nmst. therefore, have some 

 experience if he would not slay a tough old mother instead of 

 a succulent young male. The young, winch usually number 

 from oue to two at a birth, are brought forth late in April or 

 early in May among the lower foothills ; but as soon as they 

 are able to move about briskly they are led to the higher pin- 

 nacles where the vegetation is more tender and there is less 

 danger from hungry wolves, bears and panthers. While the 

 dam is quite timid in the presence of man. and alwavs (lees at 

 thedetection of his presence, she will not for a moment hesitate 

 to defend her young against wolf or fox. and in such contests 

 she is often victorious, as her powerful horns are such efl e- 

 tive battering rams that a few blows from them are frequently 

 sufficient to cause the most pertinacious of the canida? to re- 

 treat with a severe pain in its ribs or. ventral regions. The 

 bighorn is an almost, perfect fac-simile of the Asiatic wild 

 sheep (OaprovU argali), the difference between them being 

 merely technical. It is almost, lotally.distinct from its domes- 

 tie congener, except in the ovine appearance of the face and 

 the taste of the flesh. It is, in the first place, much taller, 

 longer and mors spirited in action thiin the farmyard vitrietv 

 the neck is thicker, and it has scarcely any tail. The heavy, 

 recurved horns which adorn the sexes also make a marked dis- 

 tinction between both species : and instead of soft, snowy 

 wool it is covered with coarse tubular hair of a yellowish, 

 brown color which changes to a dull white at the flanks and 

 on the posterior side of the fore and bind legs. The horns are 

 quite close together where they arise from "the skull, and so 

 heavy as to give the head a stunted appearance by contrast 

 with their massiveness. The face is narrow and thoroughly 

 ovine in form and expression ; the eyes are large, and full ; 

 and the legs, which are long and tapering, yet sinewy, are evi- 

 dently intended for leaping. The body, when in good condi- 

 tion, is sound and quite broad in the back, and this gives the 

 animal a graceful yet vigorous outline. 



The height of a full grown male averages about thirty-four 

 inches ; length, forty-four inches .- horns, a long curve, twenty- 

 nine inches ; face, from base of horns to tip of nose, ten 

 inches: length of caudal vertebra, about three inches. When 

 a ram of this dimension is seen perched on a towering rock 

 among the mountain pinnacles, vigilantly surveying the land- 

 scape, he is a noble-looking fellow, and "one which any hunter 

 might be proud to place among his trophies of the chase. My 

 first introduction to the bighorn was in the War Eagle Moun- 

 tains, a rugged, snow-capped chain that bisects the territory 

 of Idaho. Being full of small circular valleys that teem with 

 graminaceous verdure, and watered by numerous streams, is 

 affords an ideal residence for the lordly bighorn | and that its 

 advantages are appreciated is evident from the large Humbert 

 that frequent, it at ail seasons. The party which I accom- 

 panied on the introductory hunt consisted of three sturdy 

 miners, a sporting merchant and a captain in the American 

 cavalry. The miners were experienced "tramps" and vete- 

 ran minrods, having often been compelled to depend on their 

 rifles for food while out on 'prospecting" tours'; so we left 

 the provisioning of the detachment and the selection of the 

 route entirely to them. 



Starting out from a mining hamlet early in the morning, the 

 evening of the same day found us encamped at the base of the 

 mountains: and, as we had to be astir before dawn, we retired 

 to our hard couch on the ground quite early in the evening. 

 Long before the sun began to appear above' the eastern moun- 

 tain peaks the next morning we were laboriously clambering 

 Op steep ascents or picking our way through cavernous preci- 

 pices, whose gloomy walls' recalled most forcibly the Plutonic 

 regions. By 5 o'clock we had reached an altitude of four 

 , lusand feet, according to the aneroid: and there the princi- 

 pal guide informed us we were to remain while he went in 

 search of "signs." He returned in about half an hour and 

 stated Unit he bad discovered a flock of a dozen or more a fur- 

 ongabovl US, and that we Should be compelled to make a 

 wide detour to get lo their lee, in order to approach them un- 

 detected. Our hearts heal wildly at this piece of good news, 

 - leas mine did ; so we examined our rifles carefully, saw 

 ey wi re perfectly clean and properly loaded. I was 

 i with a Winchester rifle, Which carried Eourteejn bullets 

 in the magaZiDe, and I was resolved tQ sbool them all al one 

 animal rather than permit, it to escape. At the command ■ 



rd id after an ■ ■ > ■ .■- 1 1 iiggliug »p- 



ii Bock to within tin ■ . I ■ 



ier i«i .... 'i i : i .ii, i . . ■ 1 1 . ■ ■ ,..i., 



<1 To shoo! from thai distance would be risking too much, 

 i i itho . d vealin* 



els . ■ i . '■■■. '"-I i 



> feedin ■■■'•■ us w« 



n I to wail lei i i tn-ei ij ijJp a h ; but the 



minutes dragged heavily, and each moment seemed a torture. 

 Alter ' Uy [Or half an hour, though it, seemed 



treble that time, four sheep and three rains advanced ftbOUt a 

 hundred yards further, and aa our patience was becominir un- 

 ion! theguii [aveiii ton to tire. This was a 

 non 'i mil we i pi Bl liy it. Each se'ect- 

 ed his quarry tal all fired simultaneously. When 

 the smoke cleared away great was our joy 10 behold the males 

 and one ewe stretched upon the ground, and two sheep leap- 

 lirjut as if badly wounded. Rushing from our 

 pluo i nl we delivered several shots in rapid suo 

 cession at the. now thoroughly alarmed Hock, which were 

 making for the rocky summit at a break-neck pace; but the 

 excitement having somewhat unstrung our nerves, the tusil- 

 ns only one- yearling, Wh1 i i dazed to 

 brad awaj ; othei 5. We billowed the ret 



nintain side, but we found in a short 

 time that the old pr< >v I a chase being a long one 



cially true in this case. We relinfrnlshofl. 5 

 tall ri Isour. Knowing i hail wo -a rely wound- 



ed by the manner in which Ihej d having failed to 



discover them among those that escaped, we deployed and 



commenced searching in every direction for some trails of 

 blood. It being a characteristic of this Species to head for 

 the mountains under all possible circumstances-, we moved 

 toward the summit, but after searching for an hour we could 

 find no trace of them. We then returned to our slain quar- 

 ries, and cutting them open made a cache in a small fir tree 

 and placed them upon it, to prevent their being unceremoni- 

 ously appropriated by some prowling bear or panlber. This 

 important duty finished, we resumed our exploration for the 

 wounded animals, and in less t uiu a minute came upon a trail 

 that plainly indicated the severity of their injury, as the blood 

 in some places formed a narrow lane, following that for half 

 a mile, we came to a deep, broad chasm, and down this we 

 clambered, or rather stumbled, for we were sliding more fre- 

 quently than walking. Reaching the bottom, we found one of 

 the sheep had followed its course upward and another down, 

 so a party went in each direction. I was with the latter, and 

 was fortunate enough to get a shot at a panther that was 

 quietly preparing to make a meal off ODe of the wounded ani- 

 mals, which it had captured and slain. I don't know whether 

 I hit him or not, but I am thoroughly sure 1 scared him a lit- 

 tle, from the way in which he dashed through the canyon. 

 He certainly acted as if he had forgotten something lower 

 down, and was in the greatest possible'hurry to get it. The 

 sheep on which he was preparing to feast was little injured, 

 he having had only time to cut its throat before he had orders 

 to leave. Making a litter ef two fallen boughs, we placed the 

 slain animal upon it, and in this way managed to get it to the 

 upper world. The other party were unsuccessful in their 

 search, but as we could claim one animal for each member of 

 the expedition we did not repine much at their ill luck. 

 Leaving this spot, we moved obliquely to the left aud upward 

 in quest of more game, and after traveling two or thpee miles, 

 came suddenly upon a flock of twenty or thiriv. 1'iii 

 COuldrecOVer from our surprise they were dashing away 

 We tired at. random, little expecting any result from it -. bill 

 we were fortunate- enough to get a splendid male, which wns 

 hit right on the skull, and one eWe. This piece of good for- 

 tune we attributed more to the numbers of the flock rather 

 than to any markmanship. so we felt little pride in our 

 achievement, for no one could tell who killed the animals. 

 Our experience of the morning having taught us the folly of a 

 direct pursuit, we stored the game and moved on along the 

 original line of route. We tad not proceeded more than a 

 mile before we met another flock : but as they were on the 

 opposite side of a precipice we could not approach them un- 

 detected. They were- at least five hundred yards away, and 

 knowing we could have little chance of killing any at that, 

 distance, we concluded to test the range and accuracy of -our 

 rifles upon them. Selecting a huge crag for a shelter, one of 

 the miners fired, but his bullet passed over them. Another 

 tried it and he planted the ball directly in their midst. This 

 seemed to arouse them, as they all jumped from the ground at 

 the unusual apparition, then stared wildly about. Several 

 more were then sent among them, but instead of attempting 

 to run away they only began to stare and jump as the balls 

 whistled over, or tore up the ground beside them, One, at 

 length, got struck somewhere near the (lank, and that caused 

 it to think the locality disagreeable if not, dangerous, so it 

 gave a startled jump, a sharp cry, and dashed sway, closely 

 followed by the others. As they were moving off we saw a 

 sturdy ram hastily run up the precipice and bound after them. 

 We c'onld not understand why the flock waited to be shot at 

 several times, but the unexpected presence of tins veteran 

 soon gave the proper explanation. It was his privilege, appa- 

 rently, to lead all movements, and being absent in the canyon, 

 perhaps for the purpose of allaying bis thirst, his charge" dicl 

 not know wdiat to do without him : but, like all sheep," when 

 one moved, the remainder followed without, thinking of the 

 ceremony of waiting tor the commands of the chief. If we 

 did not reap much profit from this bit of shooting we enjoyed 

 a good share of quiet amusement, for it was quite ludicrous to 

 sec- the heavy-horned creatures give a startled jump, and then 

 gaze stupidly about in search of the cause of their annoyance. 

 Having been more successful than the most, sanguine ' could 

 have expected, we concluded to return to camp with our 

 spoils, as the hot August sun was becoming disagreeably in- 

 tense, and it was so late in the morning that we could scarcely 

 hope to meet any more sheep until the cool breeze of the even- 

 ing appeared. 



Oil reaching our caches we made a drag of the heaviest fir 

 and pine boughs we could break off by our united weigh . and 

 placing the game on this we hauled it down the mountain 

 without any very laborious efforts. 



Arrived at camp, those unused to the heavv climbing of the 

 day were sc.on so stiff as to be scarcely able to move ; but the 

 rugged miners seemed to consider it a mere nothing, and 

 laughed heartily at the '< drawing-room hunters." The suc- 

 cess of the expedition had been so great, however, that they 

 condescended to say that the "drawing-room hunters " were 

 e seeUent shots, and they did not want any better companions 

 for a day among the bighorns. I have been out among them 

 often sin n e then, but never did T see such good luck attend a 



party the first da. 



Companion, who 



That evening while discussing' tin- uicri', 



ud the contents a i a le of bottles 



le princi] d an adveh- 



th ■ in k ■,';., 



out mon tog's .;, o ts 

 chums." in prospecting for gold, be- 

 ins out of meat concluded to kill some mountain sheep i 



y other means of procuring it, as there were no set- 

 i of the country at the time, except > tew 



[ miners, The Indians, Who had' been very trou 



i my, had lei then ilohi 

 this they supposed there that were nunc anywhere near them. 

 ei after si ailing they cameupona flock an, 

 .and while engaged in preparing them, another flock 

 suddenly appeared on the opposite side of a chasm near which 

 preparing i en - il h Iii c I Lu ■■ 

 at. - - "i '■' 



•ew themselves on the srroui 

 -.,, ith i reports dI then' iwn 



lind them, and sever 

 passed over their heads. Alarmed by this unexpected fusil- 

 lade, they jumped ' bebinoTs crag just 

 in time to escape a shower of arrows, Looking up, they saw 

 ive them a party of Indians m all the hide- 

 tisnesE of wi , . ■• 5 to fire at. them s econd time, 

 Without sva Hugtosei ymon tmrged their rifles 

 at the group ami fled al then utmost speed down : 



The Indians followed in hi i pi 

 panthers and firing either a ride or arrow whenever a good 

 opportunity presented itself. The fugitives rarely g 



they were standi] ; an 1 ' 



-ere 



.,, . ■■■ ,n i sted by the foe i 



i frc 



few moments the boiler - 



tin 



and bred ; but siuiultonei 



asly 



rifles came others directh 



bol 



. unity, however, is I 



four miles, 



when they fortunately struck a ciuivm, and into this they 

 plunged with a suddenness that nearly carried them to the 

 bottom al, one bound. Along this they ran with renewed 

 energy, and in fifteen minutes after entering it were delighted 

 to find that the Indians had lost their trail or had been outruD. 

 They reached their cabin late in the evening, but instead of 

 resting they mounted their mustangs and went around among 

 the miners, arousing them to the danger that threatened them. 

 Being always prepared for warfare, those daring fellows were 

 soon armed and assembled at a common rendezvous under the 

 command of our guide. They advanced against their foes the 

 next morning, and meeting them at the base of the mountain 

 dispersed them after a few volleys, which placed one-fourth 

 tmbet hors 4e combat, without any loss to them- 

 selves. This summary defeat kept the treacherous red men 

 away from that region ever after. Tbankiug the 

 for his story, we retired to our pallet of clay, and early the 

 next morning returned lo the mining hamlet where we were 

 received with many congratulations on our good fortune. I 

 have had many a day's sport among the bighorns since then, 

 but none which equaled in pleasurable excitement my first in- 

 troduction to them. ^ 



y,„ Purest and stream, and Rod an>l Bun. 

 SUMMER WOODCOCK SHOOTING. 



I PITY the man who does not know Major Scolopax. I 

 pity still more the earthly wretch in whom he produces 

 only a gastronomic thrill. Often does memory fondly linger 

 Over the happy hours I have enjoyed in his society, and gives 

 birth to deep "regret that, the Pacific Slope, so rich in other 

 game, has nothing tosuppiy his place. 



"What is it that makes him so attractive— his fine flavor?'' 



Not a bit of it, ! I would not go a quarter of a mile out of 

 my way to pick up a bunch in the street. But drop those 

 books or that pen j shut up your desk and skip out of the 

 bniling city for a few days with me. We will pay the Major 

 a visit, and you will soon see why his friends are so numerous 

 and devoted". By the time it is "light enough to see well we 

 are, on the ground. Morning and evening are the best times 

 of day to call on him. The ait is cooler and more moist, and 

 the scent is stronger and lies longer. The keen ed| 



tot 1 blunted hy his stettins heated upas 

 in the middle Of the day. Moreover, the birds will still be on 

 their feeding grounds, or very close by them, instead of being 

 Stowed away for their daily siesta on higher or drier ground, 



where the number of acres to a bird is mi tinhh In. 



Our ground is a piece of swampy timber land, intersected wftil 

 little spring-runs, but with plenty of tolerably dry laud, and 

 some low "underbrush. We don't want to go where it is too 

 wet. as the Major doesn't like ground that is too moist for 



How delightful is the change from the dusty hubbub of the 

 healed city t The cool, soft morning air is redolent with that 

 strange perfume We often find in the woods, even when no 

 flowers are in sight, and musical with the hum of the bees, 

 already on the wing, the twitter of a hundred songsters, the 

 bark, or crashing spring of the squirrel, the almost human 

 whistle of the upland plover, the drumming of the 

 ruffed grouse, and the rich, mellow "Bob Whiter", that at 

 reaular intervals floats in from the neighboring n, 

 I , . ntrast to the steaming heat of the City, the ascend- 



ing fragrance of the garbage can, t lie tooth distracting hand- 

 organ, and the nasal melody of the soap fat man. 



But, see: The dogs are already at work, each on a slow 

 trot, slackening to a walk as they approach suspicious places. 

 They travel atless than half the" speed they do when after a 

 bevy of quail or covey of grouse. They know their business 

 we do, they know they arc after a bird, whose scent, 

 is mil very powerful, and one that is easily flushed. But look 

 at Don! He scents one already: see how warily he sneaks 

 around thai little patch of skunk cabbage; how he stops, 

 sniffS delicately the fragrance that our dull sen- 

 nothing of, moves cautiously for a pace or two with the 

 Stealthy slop of the midnight thief, then suddenly stops again. 

 How beautiful he looks; his head thrown to One side, one 

 foot upraised as if in act to spring; his eyes fixed in a wild 

 stare of expectant hope upon a little clump of skunk cabbage; 

 he almost holds his breath; his whole body is rigid as marble, 

 with every nerve strung to its utmost tension, while his tail, 

 stiffened "like an icicle, <; ip .>, ith excitement. 



Ah! ye scu. 

 nature's fleeting f< 

 neglected this, the I 



it because it is hevi 

 Old Fran!; 

 pointing t 



aims in ! '. I 



why have ye so 



est sight brute , esent? Is 



beyond the reach pf your clumsy touch? 



hat little rise some thirty yards "away, lie is 

 . . but pointing al Don, He smells nothii 

 self, but he knows Don don't lie, so he poil 

 what We call "backing." 



Do not be in haste, tbe bird will stay there. Don would 

 not stir a step for the World- Walk in "and take first shot. 



when the bird rises. Be cool, hut also be quick; I alibi p. 



ately expeditions. Don't b-ih i 1 

 he will make. Banish all such low, 3BnBU0 

 also all anxiety to get him bet c fit "■ ■ 



. '. . oil want to kill I 



... -, excite and bother yon Mate up ri 



■ i- ■ ■ I " ' I 



onlv want to see him fly, and", in ■' ■ ■ 



. ill, but will just shoot at him to hurry liii 

 ■ -: pw walk in. I dot 



feetly safe, 'yet It ;■■ -sary, and itS tenil - 



. . - - | '. . 



iDon'Bi "■.., j hi i ; ,, , ,,,„ mr 



, 

 v,lii, the dos 



i. ntlieularly for some ten or twelve 

 le away. Bang goes your gun: 

 i ;.i i -, ''.'. i i....,e . omething fall, and 



. 



With hrtc.ii h lei ' ., so much need . 



id practice 

 to keep tbeiii strictl} to it. When you are loaded 



triereit" 8om< iloaul I si ndeheyis, of course, 16 ins 

 l little unsteady; 



i aid. If it injures a dog it 



.hi,.- i .,, I , !-,. But, see 



