Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-10-01
CATCHING A BIG HORN ALIVE.



Remarkable Feat.
There Is only one instance on record OF .
mAn actually capturing and holding by hts
unzided strength a wild Rocky mountain
sheep" said A. P. Horton, an old Montana
ranchmAn "and that apparently impossible
feat was performed by . Pennsylvanian
named Frank + Baker. Any one who known
anything about the big horn sheep Of the
Rockies knows that. generally speaking. it
would be about easy u thing to get his
hands on one Of the wary and agile animals
a. It would be to grab streak OF lightning
In the first place. to get within even long rifle
range Of big horn. unless by accident, Is
something that the most expert mountain
hunters have been able TO do only by the
greatest strategy. the severest toll and great
risk to life and limb to such almost inaccess
ible businesses does the sharp eyed, keen scent
ed, sure footed big horn retire with At
the first indication Of danger. The animal Ii
instinctively suspicious cautious beyond any
animal that iives and possessed Of marvellous
powers Of speed and skill in making its way
over places that are inaccessible TO the most
nimble footed of any other American beast.
The Rocky mountain sheep is the chamois OF
this continent. | have known a hunter to
follow big horn for two weeks, day after
day, untll ne hAu trained IL almost 10 tn0
clouds on the breast of the Sierras before he
managed to get it within reach Of his rifle
For this reason the capture Of one Of these
sheep in a struggle at close quarters must
stand as one Of the most extraordinary Of
physical feats Although it was only five
years ago when 1t was accomplished, dig horn
sheep were then comparatively pl lty in
Montana. IL isn't likely that one could he
found today within thousand miles Of the
spot where Baker distinguished himself with
this particular one.
Baker had u cattle ranch near Boulder,
Mon He WAS not out hunting the day he
captured his sheep, but carne upon II sudden
iy at the foot Of a sloping bank, which was
crowned by an almost perpendicular cliff
twenty feet high. Baker was accompanied
by one Of his shepherd dogs which had been
trained for hunting. The sheep bounded up
the sloping bank, closely followed by the dog
The high cliff cut of its fight up tue mount
ain, and on reaching it the big horn took in
the situation at once and turned ON the dog.
Standing with its rump against the cliff the
sheep presented its formidable front to the
dog The dog was wise enough to keep out Of
reach of the tremendous battering ram the
sheep welded, one blow from which would
have smashed the skull of a buffalo bull, but
kept the animal at bay by safe and noisy
maneuverS
Baker quickly took in the strategic points
Of the situation, and made up his mind that
by bold and risky movement he might be
able to do what he had never heard Of any
man doing before, aud that was to make the
big horn his prisoner. He meaked around
and gained the summit Of the clin, and
climbed along It until he was directly above
the big horn, which was still standing on the
defensive against the dog Without waiting
to calculate on the probable result Of his at
tempt. Baker jumped from the ledge and
alightet astri.le the Sleeps back, and throw
ing his arms around its neck locked his I'm
gers together and brought all the pressure b.
was capable Of to bear on the big horns
breathing place. The instant Baker struck
the Sleeps back the big animal lost all inter
est in the dog, and made two or three trs-
mendous bounds along the hill. and then
threw itself ON the ground and rolled over
and over down the bank In that brief but
terrific journey Baker was stripped Of nearly
all his clothes and was mashed almost
breathless, but be held on to the sheep like
grim death. The dog took an active part in
the struggle, but the sheep paid no attention
to him, putting all Of his energy into efforts
to loosen himself Of Bakers burden
THE yells that Baker set up, and the NOISE
made by the dog, were heard by one Of Bak-
ers men at the ranch, . quarter OF mile
away. The struggle between Baker and the
sheep had taken them some distance from the
hill, and they were in sight Of the ranch.
The hired man grabbed gun and buried to
the scene Of the struggle. Baker was baked,
bleeding, and covered with dirt, but he shout
ed to his man. when he arrived breathless on
the scene and was about TO send a bullet
through the big horn, not to shoot, but to go
back and get lariat Baker was bound to
bag that sheep alive or not at all By the
time the man got back with the lariat Baker,
sheep and dog were all about in the same
state Of exhaustion The man threw tine
moose over the big horn, and the capture was
insured It was about all that Baker could
do to get hack to the ranch. and the man,
with other help that had arrived, got the
sheep to the ranch and penned him up
Baker was several days getting over the
effects Of bis fight with the big horn. His in
tention bad been to sind his prize east, but
finding that the sheep persistentiy refused to
eat or drink. and was visibly dying In its cap
tivity, he ordered the animal set free In len
than . minute after regaining its liberty it
had disappeared among the rocks far up the
side Of the mountain. Now York Sun