“When a flock is migrating to new pastures the sentinels or leaden carefully scrutinize the country before them from every commanding position, and when they are satisfied with its appearance the whole party advance boldly, and having made it their head-quarters, throw out vedettes, generally males, who mount guard on elevated crags or hillocks, and vigilantly survey their surroundings until their companions have dined, when all seek shelter amidst crags, small pine or fir coppices, and inaccessible shelves of rock or somber canyons, where no ordinary enemy can follow them without making its presence known.
“When a sentinel detects the approach of a suspicions object, he sounds an alarm at once by a few loud and peremptory hissing snorts; this brings the flock huddling together, the lambs and ewes in the center; and when the column is formed, all dash for the highest ridges at their best pace, and never stop until they have sought a safe refuge among crags or chasms. The advance is always led by a sturdy ram, one that is generally looked upon as the leader, and the rear and flanks are carefully guarded by the young males. In regions where they are little disturbed they raise their heads every few minutes while feeding and survey their surroundings; and as they are both sharp of eye and keen of scent it requires the most careful stalking to approach them within shooting range without being discovered. They will get the scent of a hunter to windward seemingly half a mile away; and when that terrifying odor is made known to the flock they display the greatest symptoms of terror and dash wildly for the highest pinnacles, now leaping nimbly from crag to crag, or vaulting dark and narrow chasms with the greatest ease, nor do they stop until they have placed a goodly distance between themselves and their most dreaded foe.”
“A common sheep could do nothing like that,” said Harry, as George paused and closed the book.
“Not by any means,” responded Mr. Graham, “as he is heavy in his steps and slow in his motions. His intelligence is low and his constitution could not stand the exposure to the weather that the wild animal endures without injury. Except under very favorable circumstances a flock of sheep would soon perish if turned out to shift for themselves.”