The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1907-10-11
HOW MOUNTAIN
SHEEP LEAP.
Ease With Which one of Them
RidS Himself of Dogs in
Pursuit.

Soon after we started a black bear
he ran along the foot of a cliff and
past bunch of mountain sheep up on
the cliffs following one of them to the
edge writes ID. c. Beaman in the Den
yer Post. 1t was a big ram and when
he got near the edge of the cliff he
came TO bay, and for several minutes
stood off one of the fox terriers which
he'd kept close to him. Pretty soon
a foxhound got up on top and joined
the terrier and they both made a
charge on the sheep and il looked pretty
bad for him as we thought but he did
not seem to think so for he made a
sidewise spring straight out from the
edge of the precipice. apparently or
8 feet, and then spread his feet in a
sort of bracing way, and with his body
in a perfectly horizontal position and
parallel to the face of the cliff drop
ped straight down TO the foot of the
cliff.
There is an old theory that noun
tain sheep in jumping from a cliff
light on their horns, but that has long
been exploded. However, many have
supposed that they jumped down in
the ordinary way, alighting first on
their front feet. This, | believe, is
also an error, except when the dis
tance is slight. Where the distance is
at all great. | now entertain no doubt
that they light on all their feet at
once, and as squarely as if standing
still, just as this one did. The posi-
ton was stiff-legged hut the instant his
feet touched the ground his joints
gave way, with increasing resistance,
however, acting as springs, until his
belly almost touched the ground, be-
fore the force of the impact was over
come by the muscular resistance. The
philosophy of this is obvious.
The hoofs of the mountain sheep
are also heavily cushioned and are
about as elastic as a ruber ball. There
seemed to be no more jar when this
sheep lit than if he had descended
but 2 or 3 feet. He was up and away
instantly, and was soon out of reach
of the dogs, which wouldn't think of.
making the jump.
A short distance to the left of
where the sheep stood the cliff slop-
ed off 50 that he could have descend
ed to the foot of it easily and without
a leap of more than or feet, but
the dogs could have followed and thus
kept hot after him. This way down
was in plain sight of the sheep, and
he was no doubt perfectly familiar with
it and with all the features of the cliff
as it was his home. 1t seemed as if
the sheep decided that the only or
best way to BATTLE the dogs was to
do something that they could not do.
| would not dare to assert that such
was the case lest | should run up
against some of the naturalists who
claim that wild animals do not rea-
son.
ht hpSo hNlN oiiebio W oppiOoSh
even as near the edge of the cliff as
where the sheep stood when he jump
ed, aud when he had passed out of
their sight over the edge they seemed
10 think he had taken wings, as they
Immediately quit the chase and came
| back 10 us.
Mr.. Smith and myself were on the
opposite side of the gulch, about 200
yards away, and saw the whole per-
Torrance, which lasted several min
utes. 1t was the finest exhibition of
animal agility / ever saw or expect
to see. How far sheep can jump,
or, rather drop, and not hurt himself
/ do not know, but this was pretty
good. / went up to tn espot afterward
and measured the height of the cliff
as accurately as possible, and found
it to be between 20 and 20 feet. From
the ease with which he made it
should think he could almost double
the distance without injury.