The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1871-01-07
Hunting Rocky Mountain Sheep.

We had been at our new camp several
days, and taken all the game we wanted,
when, one morning, I determined to climb
the mountain peaks and have hunt after
the famous mountain sheep. My compan-
ions liked the idea of dash at the "hard
heads and we all three sat out together.
The sun met us as we toiled up the sleeps,
and it was scarcely half an hour high when
La Frombe, who was in advance, halted
and pointing to a cliff half mile distant,
said, "There they are.'' We looked in the
direction indicated and saw group of four
sheep walking along the edge of prec-
ipice. They had not yet discovered us,
and we stood still until they passed out of
sight behind some projecting rocks, and
then ran as fast as we could along the
mountain side until we were directly under
where we had seen our game. Carefully
ascending from crag to crag, We were not
long in coming upon their fresh tracks,
and now we crept along, looking carefully
ahead at every turn. Presently La Frembe
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 one right. At a signal from
La Frombe we fired together, and when
the smoke had cleared away saw one sheep
| lying on the rock l ran as fast as l could
up the rocks, and arrived in time to see
the other two big horns going around the
bluff quarter of mile off. La Frembe
had killed his game, but the Santee and 1
had missed our mark. l, 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 ami
NAL, l climbed from ravine to ravine and
rock to rock for nearly an hour and had
begun to despair of seeing my game again,
when l Unexpectedly came upon some
blood and tracks. 1 saw where the sheep
had lain but few minutes before, and as
there was some soft soil at this point so 1
could follow the tracks, crawled carefully
along. I paused often to watch and
listen, but could see nothing, and all was
silent as only the vast solitudes of a noun
tain can be. l had begun to descend
little, with view of getting among some
scrubby pines near by, in order the better
to shield myself from observation, and just
as reached them, saw a stately ram
walking slowly along ledge of rocks,
closely followed by small eve. l was yet
too far away to shoot with precision, and
as they were moving slowly, and had not
seen me, stood still until they turned the
rock They were moving parallel with me,
and I now fastened, under cover of the
pines, to get ahead of them, if possible
After getting one or two FALLS and nearly
breaking my gun and neck over the stones,
l perceived the sheep nearly above me, and
not over two hundred yards distant. 1
crawled to the egde of the rock, and select
ing an open spot, where knew the sheep
would pass, rested my gun. In 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 OH his heads He was desperately
wounded, but still able to rise. AS he
steadied himself for another, jump put a
third ball into him, and he lay down on the
rocks. l scrambled up to him, and when
he saw me he made desperate efforts to get
upon his feet He lay upon his side, his
great red eyes rolling fiercely. When 1
went near him he bleated piteousy, and
struck with his forefeet, at the same time
tossing his great horns savagely about. 1
tried for some time to get hold of him, not
wishing to shoot him again as l had but
two chargers left in my gun, and had left
my ammunition belt behind, in order to
climb the better. Every time approached
he struck at me, until, finally losing my
patience, bounced upon him from behind,
and Selling hold of one of his horns, at
tempted to draw my hunting knife across
his throat. Throwing back his head with
a strength that surprised me, he struck me
with his horn Oh the knee, and almost
broke my leg. 1t was only after severe
struggle that was able to drive my knife
into his neck and finish him.
When I had killed the ram looked up,
and there stood the doe hardly fifty yards
distant. She had been looking at the
death of her mate, and now, even as
looked at her, bounded nimbly away over
the rocks. fired shot after her, but it
did not hit her, and sat down perfectly
satisfied with my ram.
l was not long in signaling my compan-
ions, and presently heard the long "talla-
hon' of La Frombe, who was coming up
the sleeps below me.
had my sheep skinned and dressed by
the time they came up, and the pines
affording favorable place, we cut off some
of the choice bits, roasted them on the
Goals, and dined.
We were all three very tired and having
had enough of sheep-hunting for one day,
we rested for a couple of hours, and then,
packing our meat on our backs, began the
descent 1t was quite late when we reached
our camp, and as we were. weary, and
bruised by many fall received during
the day, we soon went to bed
*Hunting the Rocky Mountain sheep is
the only sport that approximates to any
thing like the famous channels hunting of
olden times. The flesh of these sheep is
good, but they are exceedingly difficult to
kill. When pursued by the hunter, or
wounded, they will frequently throw them
selves over precipices fifty feet high, and
light oil their horns, apparently without
hurting themselves in the least
Mr. Belden gives, in the above sketch,
perfectly natural and correct account of
a rocky Mountain sheep hunt
From BELDEN; THE WHITE CHIEF,
published by A. HI. HUBBARD, 400 Chest
nut Street, Philadelphia, Pa, and sold only
by subscriptions
A CAUTION TO LADIEs.-Death in the
Chignon.-A correspondent from Liberty,