Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1870-12-14

We had been at our new camp sew
eral days, and taken all the game we
wanted, when, one morning, I deter
mined to climb the mountain peaks .
and have hunt after the famous .
mountain sheep. Ny companions
liked the idea Of a dash at the "hard
head" and veal three set out tOgeth- F.
er. The sun met us as we tOiled up
the sleeps, and il was scarcely half an
hour high when La FrOmbe, who was
in advance, halted and pointing to o
cliff half mile distant, said, There
they are" We looked in the direc-
tiOn Indicated and saw a group Of four
sheep walking along the edge Of o
pTecipiee. They had not yet discOv-
cred US, and we stood still until they
passed out Of sight behind some pro-
jectlng rocks, and then ran as fast as
we could along the mountain side un-
til we were directly under where we
had seen Ourgame. Carefully ascend
ing from crag to crag, we were not
long in coming upon their fresh
tracks, and now we crept along, lOOk-
ing carefully ahead at every turn.
Presently La Frombe pointed to the
right, and there, standing on a rock,
scarcely two hundred yards from us,
were three large sheep. We each
selected a sheep-La FrOmbe taking
the one on the left, the Santee the one
in the middle, and l the farthest on
the right. At a signal from La
Frombe we fired together, and when
the smoke cleared away saw one sheep
lying on the rock. / ran as fast as 1
could up the rocks, and arrived in
time to see the other two big horns
going around the bluff a quarter of a
mile off. La FrOmbe had killed his
game, but the Santee and had miss
ed our mark. I, however, noticed
blood on the stones, and knowing that
one OF the other two was wounded,
determined to follow them. Leaving
La Frombe and the Santee to skin
and dress the dead animal, climbed
from ravine to ravine and rock to
rock for nearly an hour, and had be-
gan to despair Of seeing my game
again, when I Unexpectedly came
upon some blood and tracks. ] saw
where the sheep had lain but a few
minutes before, and as there was some
soft soil at this point so 1 could follow
the tracks, / crawled carefully along.
[ L
but could see nothing, and all was
silent as only the vast sOlitudes of a
mountain cen be. I had began to de-
scend q little, with a view Of getting
among some scrubby pines near by,
in order the better to shield myself
from observation, and just as reach
ed them I saw a stately ram walking
/ slowly along a ledge Of rocks, closely
I followed by a small eve. was yet
7 too far away 10 shoot with precision,
and as they were moving slowly, and
| had not seen me, / stood still until
they turned tie rock. They were
moving parallel with me, and I now
hastened, under cover Of the pines, to
/ get ahead of them, If possible. After
| getting one or two falls, and nearly
l breaking my gun and neck over the
/ stones, / perceived the sheep nearly
| above me, and not over two hundred
yards distant. I crawled to the edge
/ Of the rock, and selecting an open
| spot, where l knew the sheep would
| pass, rested my gun. In a moment
| they appeared, and when the ram
came opposite the end of my rifle,
| fired The old fellow dropped, rolled
| over, turned upon his horns, and fell
over forty feet, lighting on his head.
! He was desperately wounded, but
still able to rise. As he steadied him
self for another jump L put third
ball into him, and he lay down on
| the rocks. 1 scrambled up to him
and when he saw me he made desper'
ate efforts to get upon his feet. He
lay upon his side, his great red eyes
rolling fiercely. When 1 went neal
him he bleated piteOusly, and strucB
with his fOre-feet, at the same time
tossing his great horns savagely
about. I tried for some time to gei
hold Of him, not wishing to shoot hin
again as had put two charges left in
my gun, and I had left my ammuni
tfon-belt behind, in order to climb the
better. Every time 1 approached he
struck at me, until, finally losing my
patience, I -pOunced upon him from
behind, and seizing hold Of one Of hi:
horns, attempted to draw my hunting
knife across his throat. Throwing
back his head with q strength thai
surprised me, he struck me with hi:
horn on the knee and almost broke
my leg. It was only after a severe
struggle that was able to drive my
knife into his neck and finish him.
When had killed the ram looked
up and there stood the doe hardly
fifty yards distant. She had beer
looking at the death of her mate, anC
now, even as I looked at her, bounded
nimbly away over the rocks. fireC
a shot after her but it did not hit her
and 1 sat down perfectly satisfied Will
my ram.
was not long in signaling my com
paniOns, and presently heard tn
long 'talla-hO !" of La FrOmbe, VIII
was coming up the sleeps below me
1 had my sheep skinned and dress
ed by the time they came up, and tht
pines affOrding q favorable place, VI
cut OF some Of the choice bits, rOasteI
them on the Goals, and dined.
We were all three very tired, au'
having had enough of sheep-huntini
for one day, we rested for a couple o
hours, and then, packing our meat OF
our backs, began the descent. 1t wa
quite late when we reached our camp
and as we were weary and bruised BY
many a fall received during the day
we soon went to bed
, sHuntfng the Rocky Mountain sheep 4
the only sport that apprOXimates to an
. thing like the famous chamois hunting O
. olden times. The flesh OF these sheep 4
very gOOd. but they are exceedingly difdcul
}. to kill. When pursued by the hunter, o
I wounded. they will frequently threw them
selves over precipices MY feet high, an
light on their horns, apparently WithOu
hurting themselves In the least
Mr. Belden gives, in the above sketch,
perfectly natural and correct account Of
I Rocky Mountain sheep hunt
. From BELDEN; THE WHITE CHIEF, pub
! lished BY c. F. VENT. - West Fourth Street
{ Cincinnati and College Place, New NorH
and sold only by subscription
DREARY HOUsES.-The dreariest 0
all houses in the world are those tha
: sra boOl-Iasa and npvrsnanarlpSS To