Wichita eagle., 1889-09-07
CATCHING A BIG HORN ALIVE.


The Only Instance on Record Of This very
Remarkable Feat.
ssThere Is only one instance on record of q
man actually npturing and holding by his
unaided strength q wild Rocky mountain
sheep" said A. p. Horton, an old Montana
| ranchman, land that apparently impossible
feat was performed by Peunsyivanian
named Frank F. Baker. Any one who knows
anything about the big horn sheep of the
Rockies knows that, generally speaking, it
would be about as easy thing to get his
hands on one of the wary and agile animals
as it would be to grab streak Of lightning
In the first plaos, to get within even long rifle
range Of a 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-
IDLE businesses does the sharp eyed, keen scent
ed, sure footed big bora retire with ease at
the first indication of danger. The animal is
instinctively suspicious, cautious bayond any
animal that lives, 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 channels OF
this continent. l have known q hunter to
follow big horn for two weeks, day after
lay, until he had trailed it almost to the
clouds on the breast Of the Sierras before he
managed to get it within reach of his rife
For this reason the capture of one of these
sheep in a struggle at closs quarters must
stand as one Of the most extraordinary of
physical feats. Although it was only five
sheep were then comparatively plenty in
Montana 1t isn't likely that one could be
found today within thousand miles of the
spot where Baker distinguished himself with
this particular one.
Baker had cattle ranch near Boulder
Mon. He was not out hunting the day he
captured his sheep, but came upon it sudden
ly at the foot of 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 shesp bounded up
the sloping bank closely followed by the dog.
The high cliff cut off its flight up the 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 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 a bold and risky movement ne might be
able to do what he had never heard of any
man doing before, and that was to make tire
big horn his prisoner He snsaked around
and gained tie summit of the cliff, and
climbed along it until he was directly above
the big horn, which was still standing OH the
defensive against the dog Without waiting
to calculate on the probable result of his at
tempt, Baker jumped from the ledge and
alighted astride the sleeps back, and throw
ing his arms around its neck locked his fin
gers together and brought all the pressure he
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 ire
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 he 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
1.-The yells that Baker set up, and the noise
made by the dog, were heard by one of Bak-
er's 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 gnn and hurried to
the scene of the struggle. Baker was naked,
bleeding, and covered with dirt, but he shout
ed to his man, when he arrived breathIess on /
the scene and was about to send q bullet
back and get lariat. Baker wes bound 20
bag that sheep alive or not al all BY the
me the man got back with the lariat Baker, /
sheep and dog were all about in the same
state of exhaustion The man threw the
moose over the big horn, and the capture was
insured. 1t was about all that Baker could
do to get back TO the ranch, and the man,
with other help that had arrived, got the .
sheep to the ranch and penued him up
Baker was several days getting over the .
effects of his fight with the big horn. His in +
tention had been to send his prize east, but .
finding that the sheep persis5eutly refused to .
eat or drink and was visibly dying in its cap
tivity, he ordered the animal set free. In less .
than minute after regaining its liberty it .
had disappeared among the rocks far up the
side of the mountain. New York Sun.