Image from the Biodiversity Heritage Library.
Contributed by American Museum of Natural History Library.
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Transcription
70
with my glasses I scanned every square
inch of rock but still no sight of life. Then the
hunter said "There standing on that trail -
he will come right to us" I tried again
following the trail as it wound
from us along the side of the temple like a
ridge, and just before it vanished miles
off I saw the shape, a splendid rare
standing like a statue of gray brown
granite, gazing squarely at us. He
was fully half a mile away but the
hunter had seen him the instant he
appeared. Without my glasses the
animal was nearly a blur to me and
I doubt never have dreamed it was a
living creature but the marvellous eyes
of its nostril detected its every movement.
"It is a very large one" he said "and has
big horns much better than those others".
That was quite alright but the others
had given me a shot & this ram, splendid
as it was, seemed as unattainable
as the stars.
For an hour we matched him. Now
& then he would turn about & look across
the prairies on either side or behind
and once he came a dozen feet toward
us along the trail. The hunter seemed
quite unconcerned anyhow & gave
him then looking through my glasses