March 18, 1886.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



143 



Surviving still, thus testified 

 To the high hearts wnose fearless deed 



Told unknown tribes how Christ had died. 

 Scanty our intercourse at first, 



But when he'd breakfasted his fill, 

 Sated his hunger, slaked his thirst, 



Iu varied tongues he tried our skill. 

 But most of all his speaking hands, 



Portrayed his thought to watchful eyes. 

 Till silently one understands 



Sense, the unpracticed ear defies. 

 Grateful, he offered me his aid, 



To lead me over pathways steep, 

 And zigzag trails through long years made 



By clambering hoofs of mountain sheep. 

 I took the chance and, while I turned 



Away a moment to prepare, 

 Amid the bustle, I discerned 



The muttered chant of savage prayer. 

 My Kootenay, with upturned eyes 



And waving hands, began his charm, 

 That the bright ruler of the skies 



Might guide aright and guard from harm. 



"Wizard power of rock and forest! 



Foiler of the hunter's skill ! 

 Thou who unseen always warrest 



For the flocks we strive to kill! 

 Fade before a mightier sovereign, 



Friend and prop of human kind. 

 Overhead the Sun god hovering 



Strikes all those who front him blind. 

 Hear our prayer benign protector ! 



Guide our aim to happy chance! 

 And for our divine director, 



Here we vow a sacred dance." 



The dismal strains of worship ceased. 



We started on our cliinb, and soon 

 The chill was chased, the toil increased 



By the high sun of golden noon. 

 We reached our station near the top 



Of a long, rugged mouatain side, 

 And here my Indian bade me stop 



While he should fetch a circuit wide. 

 I stood alone, yet not alone: 



Around me crag and jutting peak, 

 In every weathering sculptured stone, 



Spread stories more than tongue can speak. 

 Far back in geologic time 



I saw, in mind, the mighty chain 

 Form grain by grain in ocean's slime, 



Then slowly rise to light again. 

 Still deeper pierced my roving thought, 



Till (yet unshaped our spinning sphere), 

 Save whirling chaos there was naught 



But infinite space, black, cold and drear. 

 The north wind stirs upon my cheek. 



And wakes my fancy from its dream. 

 The rocks, before so gray and bleak, 



Now catch the sunshine's fitful gleam. 

 Oh! beautiful the cloud of spray, 



That tops the green surf's glassy arch, 

 And beautieul the sunlit play 



Of the long rollers' measured march. 

 But grander, through the cloud wreaths, loom 



The jagged peaks in lofty line; 

 And sweeter, through the mellow gloom. 



The breeze-borne scent of larch and pine. 

 And far below the river's thread 



Through its great dike in silver breaks, 

 Churning, along its rocky bed, 



The waters of the snow-fed lakes. 

 Tbe glacier torrent's turbid green, 



The dark tall cliffs, that towering stood 

 Somber as death, like death serene, 



The sinuous ice-field's creeping flood ; 

 Ail this I saw, all this I felt. 



But some great hand the curtain draws, 

 And veiled in mist, the visions melt 



Into the valley's darkening jaws. 

 Long, long my watch. But hark ! that noise ! 



Down the long glacis rattling fast 

 Roll stones, forced from their trembling poise 



By some great creature moving past. 

 A moment's pause. Above the ledge 



A head with broad, curved horns is raised 

 On the great slope's extremest edge, 



And looks toward me like one amazed. 

 Out on the stillness rings the shot. 



The rocks reverberating 'round, 

 Send, from long ridge and hollow grot, 



A thunder of redoubled sound. 

 And the struck beast in wild career 



Goes plunging down the bouldered steep; 

 Blind with his death wound, mad with fear, 



Spending his life with every leap. 

 Below I found him stretched out dead, 



Yet half reproachful as he lay, 

 The noble horns and the proud head 



Thrown backward on the bloody clay. 

 Staggering, I homeward bore the spoils. 



At last the hunter's wish was won. 

 And, thankful for my ended toils, 



I cried aloud "Strong is the Sun." 

 And round our fire that autumn night, 



While trembling flame spires fell and rose, 

 I owned that earnest vows had might 



On forest game and savage foes. 



The dance? Ah ! well the dance was done 



By worshippers who owned its spell, 

 Though, recreant when the prize was won, 



I scorned the power that earned it well. 

 But ever in my inmost mind 



The dry light science gives is dimmed 

 When faintly on the northern wind 



The Sun god's praise comes rudely hymned. 

 It echoes over bustling streets, 



Or in short lulls at parting day. 

 Its monotone my spirit greets 



With memories of the Kootenay. 

 More in the heart than in the ear 



The dreary music stirs again, 

 Bringing the god of nature near, 



By the strong faith of simple men. H. G. Dulog. 



A ROCKY MOUNTAIN SHEEP HUNT. 



I HAVE been a hunter for many years, aud I suppose 

 there is to some degree a similarity in the experience of 

 sportsmen. At some period of life there is a ruling ambi- 

 tion to accomplish a certain end, to kill some particular 

 animal, or to succeed in some enterprise. Several times in 

 my life some special desire has been the center of my thought 

 and energy, and during the summer of 1881, which I passed 

 at Wagon Wheel Gap, Col., I had the greatest ambition to 

 capture a Rocky Mountain sheep. Years of success had 

 effectually destroyed the pleasing novelty of killing bear, 

 deer, catamount, et al. Here was game 1 had never seen ; 

 and if I could, with the seeiosr, succeed in capturing, it 

 would constitute quite an event in my hunting life — it would 

 be a gay feather in my mucb-worn cap. 



Tbe proprietor of the hotel (a rude structure, by the way) 

 kept a camping outfit for the use of his guests, and when 

 they started out on a hunt the tent was pitched high up on 

 some mountain, convenient to waier and some desirable 

 hunting ground. The blankets, ratious, cooking utensils, 

 etc., were packed on burros for transportation, and the little, 

 ungainly animals, with packs double their own size, would 

 safely climb rocky steeps, that tried the limbs as well as 

 lungs of the men. 



A certain day we all started out on a deer hunt. Kemper 

 McDonald, than whom a better man never lived, and a true 

 sportsman, Jesse C, Toodle aud tbe writer were the hunters, 

 and an Irishman named Charley drove the burros and kept 

 camp. While climbing up a* very high mountain, that I 

 might look down and around upon the world, I killed, about 

 timber line, a fine buck, as fat as his hide would hold. 

 When I reached the top I saw, looking north across Bellows 

 Creek, (I had with me a No. 1 field glass) a beautiful hunt- 

 ing country, large parks interspersed with islands of timber, 

 and upon my ear there fell a faint sound, much like the 

 bleating of sheep. "It may be an illusion— it may be the 

 cry of Rocky Mountain sheep," I said to myself. My hopes 

 alternated as that far-away sound continued at intervals for 

 perhaps half an hour. 



When we returned to the Gap I gave Mr. Peck, who had 

 been living here for several years, a description of what 1 

 had seen, and of course evinced a strong desire to make an 

 effort to get over there. He said nobody lived in that 

 direction, and no white man was ever in tbe fork of Bellows 

 Creek, but it was a fine country for deer, and he had been 

 told that mountain sheep ranged in that section. That was 

 enough for me. Sampson's green withes and new cords 

 w^ould have been as powerless with me as with himself. Mr. 

 Peck said I could not get there without going up to either 

 Willow or Sunnyside creek, some ten or twelve miles above, 

 and follow either one or the other, and get on the main 

 range and then come back. Where there is a will there is 

 generally a way, and I determined to take a hunt over there. 

 The project was never out of my mind. 



A few days afterward I went up Bellows Creek to fish, 

 and found a place where I thought pack animals could 

 climb the mountain. So, early next morning, I gave direc- 

 tions to two of our boys and sent them off on horses. They 

 returned about 9 o'clock that night and reported a very hard 

 climb for three or four miles, but after that it was a fine 

 place for hunting; they said they saw twenty -five deer. We 

 soon started on our hunt, a horse a piece and four burros 

 packed with tents, blankets, etc. After sunset we reached 

 the summit of the mountain, and it was dark before our 

 tent was pitched. Our altitude was about 10,500 feet, and 

 sometimes this elevation affects persons very unpleasantly. 

 It was particularly so with myself at this time. I could not 

 breathe freely, it seemed as though my lungs could not be 

 filled, and I could not sleep. Just at daybreak I called up 

 our crowd to go out hunting and told them to go on and I 

 would try to sleep. About sunrise, as I was beginning to 

 doze, old Charley yelled out: "Kernil, Kernil, geet up, here 

 is three of the beegist bucks ye iver see." I told him to shut 

 up and let me sleep. In a few seconds he called asrain: "Oh, 

 Kernil, jshust cume an luke." By that time I was wide 

 awake, and as I crawled out of the tent he said: "111 luck to 

 ye, they be jshust a goin' into the teember." While eating 

 my breakfast I saw another deer walk across the park about 

 300 yards away. 1 had just started on horseback to look 

 around the couutry when I heard two rifle reports in quick 

 succession. While I was prospecting for the best hunting 

 ground Toodle went to camp, took the burros and Charley, 

 and brought in two very fine bucks, the first he ever killed. 

 A prouder boy could not have been found in these United 

 States, and Charley shared his glory because such exploits 

 always brought him a treat. Mac and Jesse killed nothing, 

 although each shot several times. The next day brought 

 them better luck, Mac killed a fine deer and Jesse brought 

 down a fawn. I asked Jesse where he hit it; he said in the 

 hind shoulder. 



The third day I went up the right prone: of Bellows Creek 

 toward the place, as well as I could locate it, where 1 

 thought I heard the bleating of sheep some days before, and 

 to my great satisfaction I beard the same sound. I returned 

 to camp and told Mac about it. He said he was up in that 

 direction, heard nothing of the kind, but saw where a band 

 of sheep used to feed, about twenty he supposed, and he had 

 determined to capture some before he went down to the 

 Gap. Toodle, a wonderful woodsman, age and experience 

 considered, came in toward evening, and said he had been 

 on a mountain six or eight miles distant, and had seen hun- 

 dreds of birds, brown and white in color, which we supposed 

 were ptarmigan. 



The next morning we all coucluded to go to the top of 

 this mountain, but found it impossible to ride near the top. 

 Our horses were picketed, and we made the rest of the way 

 on foot. The top of the mountain, far above timber line, 

 was almost level, and vast numbers of ptarmigan were seen 

 in every direction. We went on for several miles and came 

 to a gulch, which I felt sure ltd not only back to camp, but 

 to the sheep range. Mac and I agreed to go down this gulch 

 and return to camp on foot, leaving the horses for the boys 

 to take back. Our way into this vast ravine was very steep, 

 and a covering of slide rock rendered it particularly danger- 

 ous. A single misstep would have precipitated us to°the 

 bottom, over a thousand feet below, but practice and Provi- 

 dence had made us sure-footed, and after going down, down, 

 down, we reached the battom without harm. Very soon 

 several deer showed themselves, and Mac, true to instinct 

 raised his gun to fire. ' 'Pray don't shoot, " I said ; ' 'it would 

 be almost impossible to get your game to camp. Besides we 

 are hunting sheep." "Well," he said, "if it is sheep or 

 nothing, you go up the side of the mountain about timber 

 line, and I will stay in the valley, if I start the sheep they 

 will run up hill, just as they always do." 



The timber here had all been burned. It was a hard 

 climb, but as I scrambled up hill I saw the whole side of the 



mountain torn up with tracks, some just made. How my 

 heart palpitated ! I had been told that the mountain sheep 

 was the wildest animal in the world, and I must be con- 

 stantly on the lookout. As I rose a little knoll (it was sleet- 

 ing very hard at the time) I saw indistinctly through the dead 

 timber some animals about 200 yards below, either deer or 

 sheep. As the sleet cleared away, I discovered that they 

 were not deer, and stepping behind a tree I accidentally broke 

 a twig. They all jumped and then I knew they were sheep. 

 I tired twice, but overshot ; went to where they had been, 

 and, looking down, saw them all huddled about 250 yards 

 below. I fired two shots in as quick succession as possible, 

 and away they ran again. I went a short distance and saw 

 something scrambling near where they stood when I shot 

 last. My heart seemed in my throat as I quickened my 

 steps. Getting near, I saw two down. "Victory first sight! 

 Tell it everywhere ! ! Glory enough for one summer ! ! !" 



Getting closer. I thought they looked mightily like tame 

 sheep. How my triumph faced about as I saw the ears 

 marked! Humph, umph,|umph. Nevertheless it was a good 

 joke. I hallooed. Mac answered away down below. I 

 hallooed again, lighted my pipe and sat down to smoke. In 

 a little while here came Mac all out of breath. "What have 

 you killed, Colonel?" "I have killed two sheep." "Hurrah 

 for our side! We are the men to kill mountain sheep!" "I 

 killed them, Mac; you had no hand in it," I replied. "But 

 I told you where to go ; we killed the sheep. Three cheers 

 for Kemper and Tom!" By that time he w r as close to them; 

 his countenance fell. "These are Mexican sheep you have 

 killed, Colonel." "We killed them, Mac." "No, I had 

 nothing to do with it," "You told me where to go." After 

 a hearty laugh, Mac asked what I was going to do with 

 them. I said I would find the owner and pay for them. 

 "Let's take them to camp and eat them. I prefer mutton to 

 venison any day," said Mac. "I would not eat one for $500," 

 I replied. And there we left them. 



r~-We went on about a mile and saw the whole mountain 

 side covered with sheep and a Mexican as herdsman. I 

 called and told him I had killed two of his sheep by mistake 

 and would pay him for them. He answered "Kin savvy." 

 I repeated what Ihad said. Again he answered "Kin savvy." 

 I then pointed to his sheep, held up two fingers, shut iny 

 eyes, and took out my purse. He raised both hands, which 

 were bloody, held up one finger to let me know he had killed 

 a deer. We went back to camp, acknowledged the corn, 

 relished the joke, and the conversation was merging into 

 something else when old Charley said: "Kernil, I tell ye 

 what we'll do, let's call this Camp Wool." 



The evening of tbe next day found us all at the Gap. Mr. 

 Peck chanced to know the owner of the sheep. He had lost 

 a band of 2,100 the previous fall in a snowstorm and re- 

 covered only 900. The others died or were eaten by bears 

 and mountain lion. All the guests at the Gap and Hot 

 Springs soon heard the joke, and when I went over to Hot 

 Springs, the boys, by way of reminder, were bleating arouud. 

 Hannibal's familiarity with military tactics was insignifi- 

 cant compared with my knowledge of the ways and pro- 

 clivities of these western boys and men of like"persuasion. 

 ' 'Come boys, step up," was an effectual quietus to all baa- 

 ing, and I must add, it never lost its charm. Roaky. 



Address all communications to the Forest and Stream Publish- 

 ing Co. 



WASHINGTON DOINGS. 



[From our Special Correspondent.] 



THE present winter may be considered one of unusual 

 severity for Washington. The Potomac was closed for 

 several weeks with heavy ice, the snowstorms were more 

 frequent than usual and of longer duration, and the cold 

 waves were separated, from each other by shorter intervals. 



About the middle of February, the heavy rains combined 

 with the mild weather which followed, so' softened the ice 

 in the Potomac as to enable the tide to separate it into cakes 

 and to carry it off to the sea. 



As soon as the ice would permit, the Albatross left her 

 moorings at the Navy Yard and started on the long delayed 

 trip to the Bahamas. Some time will be spent in dredging 

 in the vicinity of the various islands which constitute this 

 group, thus enabling one of the naturalists to make frequent 

 excursions to the adjacent land, for the purpose of collecting 

 natural history specimens. 



It is a satisfaction to know that Messrs. J. E. Benedict 

 and C. H. Townsend accompany the expedition in the capa- 

 city of naturalists, their former experience giving promise 

 of a valuable collection. Mr. Benedict will devote most of 

 his time to the preservation of specimens procured with the 

 dredge, while Mr. Townsend will search the islands for rare 

 biids as well as other vertebrate forms. 



Mr. Townsend returned a few days before leaving on the 

 Albatross from a trip in Alaska, where he devoted consider- 

 able time in making valuable observations on the fish and 

 birds, as well as collection'*. On his return he stopped for a 

 while at Humboldt Bav, Cal., collecting more valuable mater- 

 ial for future elaboration. 



A number of interesting papers have been read before the 

 various scientific societies this winter. Mr. Geo. E. Curtis 

 lectured before the Philosophical Society on ' 'The Farthest 

 North." He gave a long and detailed account of Lieut. 

 Lockwood's and Sergt. Brainard's sledging journey along 

 the north shore of Greenland. He compared their trip with 

 that of Lieut. Beaumont's, of the Nares expedition of 1875- 

 76, in the same locality, pointing out the reason why, iu his 

 opinion, the Americans were enabled to reach a higher lati- 

 tude than the English. Besides being in much better 

 physical condition, the sleds were lighter and were drawn by 

 dogs, which animals were wanting in Lieut. Beaumont's ex- 

 pedition. Great importance was placed on the value of dogs 

 in Arctic traveling. Although a man can draw a half more 

 than a dog, he consumes so much more food that the extra 

 weight necessary for his subsistence greatly overbalances the 

 gain derived from his supeiior strength. Another factor 

 pointing to their success was spoken of by Dr. Dall, in the 

 remarks following the lecture, which was that au Eskimo 

 driver accompanied them, who evidently was versed in keep- 

 ing the sled-runners well iced, by pouring water on them, to 

 reduce the friction to a minimum while they were traveling 

 over snow and ice. 



At tbe same meeting Prof. O. T. Mason read a paper, a 

 portion of which was on the "throwing stick" of the Eskimo, 

 and exhibited many interesting specimens of this valuable 

 accessory to the harpoon. The simplest form comes from 

 the Eskimos near the mouth of the Mackenzie River, whence 



