The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-07-21

TIC OuAN ID AccpluS Tue SudIp-
est lookout. and at the slightest alarm
they beat a retreat to their broken
Businesses. At nighttime or in the
early morning they come down to
drink at the small pools or springs. but
move off the instant they have salts
fed their thirst. AS rule, they spend
their time among the rocks and rough
ground, and it is in these places that
they must be hunted. In color they
harmonic curiously with the grayish
or yellowish brown of the ground on
which they are found. and it is often
very difficult to make them out when
Time and again they will be mistaken
for bouiders. and, on the other hand.
I have more than once stalked up to
masses OF sandstone that. have mis-
taken for sheep.
When lying down the big-horn can
thus scan everything below it: and both
while feeding and resting it invariably
keeps the sharpest possible lookout
for all danger from beneath. and this
trait makes it needful for the hunter
to always keep on the highest ground
and try to come on it from above.
AS far as lay in us, on our first days
hunt We paid proper heed to all the
rules of hunting craft: but without sue
cess. Cn the slippery. lce-covered
buttes we clambered, clinging to the
rocks, and slowly working our way
across the faces of the cliffs, or eau
tiously creeping along the narrow
lodges, peering over every crest long
and carefully. and from the peaks
scanning the ground all about with the
deld-glasses. But we saw no sheep,
and but little sign of them.
Finally we struck the head Of a long,
winding valley with a smooth bottom,
and after cantering down it four or
five miles. came to the river, just after
the cold, pale-red sun had sunk behind
the line of hills ahead Of US. Our
horses were sharp shod, and crossed
the ice without difficulty; and in a
grove Of leahess cotton-woods, ON the
opposite side, we found the hut for
which we had been making, the cow
boy already inside with the fire
started. Throughout the night the
temperature sank lower and lower,
crazy old hut anywhere near freezing
point; the wind whistled through the
chinks and crannies Of the logs, and,
after short and by no means elab-
crate supper, we were glad to cover
down with our great fur coats still on,
under the pile of buffalo robes and
bear skins. My sleeping-bag came In
very handily and kept me as warm as
possible, In spite of the bitter frost.
We were up and had taken breakfast
next morning by the time the first
streak of dawn had dimmed the bril-
liancy OF the stars, and Immediately
afterwards strobe of on foot, as we
had been hampered by the horses on
the day before. This day, though the
weather had grown even colder. we did
not feel 1t. for we walked all the while
with a quick pace, and the climb bling
was very hard work. The shoulders
and lodges of the cliffs had become
round and slippery with the ice, and it
was no easy eask to move up and
along them. clutching the gun in one
hand. and grasping each little projec-
ton with the other.
When on the way back to camp. where
the buttes rose highest and steepest.
we came upon fresh tracks. but as it
was then late in the afternoon, did not
try to follow them that day When
near the hut I killed sharptail for
supper. making rather a neat shot. the
bird being eighty yards Of. The night
was even colder than the preceding
one. and al signs told rs that we
wolld soon have a change for the
worse in the weather. which made me
6oubly anxious to get sheep before
the storm struck Us. We determined
that next morning we would take the
hosses and make 4 quick push for the
chain of high butses where we had
seen the fresh tracks. and hunt them
through with thorough care
We started In the cold gray OF the
morning and pricked rapidly OF over
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