The Elk Mountain pilot., 1923-03-08

suddsnIy He oraspsd Gale and Point
ID Across 4 Deep, Wide Gully.
heard about the wonderful eyesight
Of these mountain animals, Gale
could only conclude that they had
seen the hunters.
Then YaQui's movements attracted
and interested him. The Indian had
brought with him a red scarf and
mesquite branch. He tied the scarf
on the stick. and propped this up in
. crack Of the lava. The scarf waved
In the wind. That done, the Indian
bade Gale watch.
Once again he leveled the glass at
the sheep. All five now were notion
less, standing like statues. heads
pointed across the gully. They were
more than a mile distant. When Gale
looked without his glass they merged
into the roughness Of the lava. He
was intensely interested. Did the
sheep see the red scarf1 1t seemed
incredible, but nothing else could ac-
count for that statuesque alertness.
The sheep held this rigid position for
perhaps fifteen minutes. Then the
leading ram started to approach. The
others followed. He took few steps,
then halted. Always he held his head
up. nose pointed.
by George, they're comingw ex-
claimed Gale "They see that flag.
They're hunting us. They're curious.
If this doesn't beat mel"
Evidently the Indian understood, for
he grunted.
Gale found difficulty In curbing his
impatience. The approach of the
sheep was slow. The big ram led on
with regular persistence, and in half
an hours time he was In the bottom
of the great gulf, and soon he was
facing up the slope. Gale knew then
that the alluring scarf had fascinated
him. The animals disappeared behind
another ridge. Gale kept watching,
sure they would come out farther
on. A tense period Of waiting passed.
then sudden electrifying pressure OF
Yaqui's hand made Gale tremble with
excitement.
Very cautiously he shifted his po-
sition- There, not fifty feet distant
upon a high mound of lava, stood the
leader Of the sheep. AS Gale watched.
the second ram leaped lightly upon
the mound. and presently the three
others did likewise.
The splendid leader stepped closer.
his round. protruding amber ewes,
which Gale could now plainly see, In
tent upon that fatal red flag. Like
automatcns the other four crowded
into his tracks. A few little slow
steps, then the leader halted.
At this instant Gales absorbed at
teDtion WIS directed by Yaqui to the
rife, and so to the purpose of the
climb. he reached for the 4O5, and
as he threw the shell into the chamber
the slight metallic click made the
sheep jump. Then he rose quickly
to his feet
The noble ram and his band simply
stared at Gale. They had never seen
a man. They showed not the slightest
indication Of instructive fear. Gale
imagined that they were going to step
still closer. He did not choose to
wait to see II this were true. Ger
tainly It already took q grim resolu-
tion to raise the heavy .4O5.
His shot killed the big leader. The
others bounded away with remark
able nimbleness. Gale used up the
remaining four shells to drop the Sec
ond ram, and by the time he had re-
loaded the others were out Of range.
The YaQui's method of hunting was
sure and deadly and saving In energy.
but Gale never would try 1t again. He
chose to stalk the game. After being
hunted n few times and shot at, the
sheep became exceedingly difficult to
approach. He failed often. The stalk
called forth all that was In him of
endurance, cunning. speed. And like
shadow the faithful Yaqui tried
ever to keep at his heels.
One morning Yaqui spied flock of
sheep far under the curved, broken
rim Of the main crater. Then began
the stalk. Hiding, slipping, creeping,
crawling, Gale closed In upon his
quarry until the long rife grew like
stone in his grip, and the whipping
"spang- ripped the silence, and the
strange echo doomed deep in the era
ter, and rolled around, as II in hollow
mockery at the hopelessness of escape.
He waited beside his quarry. and
breathed deep. fnp sweep l,e ,on
slopes with searching eyes Of habit
When Yaqui came. up they set about
the hardest task Of all, to pack the
=