The five sheep which we had seen the evening before were still in view from our camp.  One bunch of three lay in a commanding position on an open hillside, and were unapproachable, but the other two had left the main mountain range and were feeding on one of the outlying foothills.  These offered an excellent chance, and Hunter and I started in their direction.

Nothing so thoroughly wets one as passing through thick underbrush which is ladened with raindrops, and we were both soon drenched, but we were now quite used to this discomfort, and had expected it.

After coming out above timber, we reached the belt of alders through which we were working upward, when one of the sheep appeared upon the rugged sky-line some half mile above us.  The glasses showed that he was a young ram with a head not worth shooting, but as his mate followed, we could see at a glance that his horns made the full turn, and were well up to the standard that I had set.

The smaller one soon wandered down the hill to our left, but the old fellow was more wary, and kept to the rocky summit.  We gradually worked nearer and nearer as his head was turned, or as he slowly fed behind some rocks.  In this way we had almost reached a dip in the hillside which would hide us from view until I could approach near enough for a shot, when the ram suddenly appeared on the sky-line above.  We both crouched to the ground and kept perfectly still, while he stood in bold relief against the clouds intently gazing in all directions.  For almost a half hour he never moved, except to slowly turn his head.  It was evident that he was restless, and missed his young companion which had wandered away.  Then he gradually moved off and sank behind a rock, and as Hunter and I had seen his hindquarters disappear last, we knew he was lying down, for a sheep goes down on his front knees first.  This was our chance, and we hastened to take advantage of it.  In fact, Hunter had crossed the last open and I was half way over, when the ram suddenly appeared again on the crest of the hill, and by his side was his young companion.  Again I dropped to the ground, while the sheep gazed down at me.  I was almost tempted to take the shot, for the distance was now not over 400 yards, and I had killed several sheep at this range.  But hoping that they had not made me out, I kept perfectly still.  I could see Hunter crouching behind a bush a short distance ahead, and soon he beckoned.  I now looked up only to find that the sheep had vanished.

As I was wearing a dark green shooting suit, I do not think they quite made me out, but their suspicions were aroused, and they headed for the main range of mountains.  In order to reach this they would be obliged to cross nearly half a mile of open tableland.  We hastened after them, and soon saw the rams, as we had expected, heading for the other hills.  We yet hoped to stalk them when they had reached the level, for they had not been greatly alarmed, and were going leisurely along, now and again stopping to munch some of their favorite black moss from the rocks.  On reaching the last hill they seemed to change their minds, for after gazing in all directions they lay down in an absolutely unapproachable position.