The herald., 1897-03-21

turning the glass upon the object 1
found it was a big-horn of grea: size
And close beside il was another ana III
tie farther on still another
1t was easy to see that all chances OF
a shot might be lost by going to them
along the crest of the ridge, Not only
was It almost impossible TO approach
in that way those we saw but there were
probably more that we did not see. We
therefore decided that one of my two
companions should go along one side OF
the ridge some two huncred yards below
the top, one CT the other at the same
distance from the crest while | should
go ahead and get on the farther end of
the ridge below them, as it was almost
certain they would run for the desert
side instead of the mountain When
they had given me time enough to reach
the farther end each was to ascend TIL.
hill toward the game.
The program was fine but the hill was
much sleeper than we had expected to
find it and moIe covered with loose
rocks and shingle, all of which dis
played a startling tendency to slide on
very slight provocation. But in time
l and one companion reached point
on the side of the hill below the sheep
and leaving him there l started for the
end of the ridge.
Before 1 had gone a hundred yards
beyond him there was a strange sound
up the hill above my friend a mufIled
sound of humping hoofs, much like
those of the mule deer in his high. stiff
legged bounds, but almost drowned IN
the sound of sliding shingle and roll
ing rocks. Could it be that our other
companion had gone up the hill too
high, or gone where the wind could car
~ his scent to the game. or had he grown
weary of our delay and started. off for a
shot for. himself?
My question was answered almost as
soon as asked. for down among the fly
ing rocks, as if sailing out of the sky
amid a flight of meteors, came eight big
bodies in blush grey with white bel
lies and short black tails edged with
yellow. Bounding higher and swifter
than the whirling rocks they set in mo-
ton at every jump, they came with
Eecks outstretched and great thick
horns curling backward over their
heads and down the sides of the necks
on the largest ones. Thicker in body,
with shorter legs than the deer or an
telope. they carried their legs we'll gath
cred beneath them as they rose in tre-
mendous leaps. And when at long in
tervals they touched ground they SEEM
ed simply to open out their legs little
and then double up again so gently as
they merely grazed the earth-it seemed
more like the play of a soaring bird than
work over the big rocks they went
like the wind, and where the rocks stood
the thickest in their path they drifted
through them as lightly as sunbeams
through the crests of foaming waves.
At every stroke of their plunging hoofs
the young avalanche along their path
grew older and more lusty, and right
toward my companion scared the whole
combination at speed that made it
look as if his doom were decreed.
My friend wheeled at the sound, but
happening to be below a wall of rock he
could see nothing, and it devolved upon
me to open the ball at a distance where
1t was quite difficult to make a certain
shot at anything in motion and hard
enough to touch it at all. Six feet or
more ahead of the bounding leader
drew the sights of the rifle and pulled
the trigger. Some fifty yards behind
the game, but in a line with it's tail. the
dust flew from the dry hillside. showing
that / had shot about the right dis
tsnce ahead; but as l was not able to
allow for the up and down motion of
the flying bighorn, the ball had passed
just over its back, so that by the time
1t struck the ground the game had moved
enough ahead to make it seem as if the
ball had gone behind it. The sheep
merely f1attened himself out a bit and
flew the faster Bang! went another
shot from my rapid repeater, and this
time the dust flew farther behind for
had not allowed for the increasing speed
OF the animals wild career Bang,-yent
another shot, aimed farther ahead, to
correct the last mistake, and close to the
shoulder a foreleg dangled on the flying
game, but on it went, a if nothing were
the matter, only turning a tri1e in its
course and going apparently in a direct
line for my friend below the rock.
Over the rock went the bighorn, with
. flying jump that from where / stood
seemed to take it right over my COM
panions head. He had heard the game
coming and stood ready for quick work,
and he was one of the quickest rifle shots