A Survivalists Tale Read Online Free PDF Page A

for foliage to grow, therefore more chance of sheep. We all understood we would not get a lot of fleece from the sheep they are more like deer than anything else, but I knew from experience that it made a great felt material. I didn’t think I would get lucky like the last time, and find them in a cave, so this would be down to trapping them.
     
    First, we had to study them, no easy task in its self, however we had found them, I had only just noticed some rocks moving in a small valley about a mile away, we were in luck there must be a herd of around twenty. They must be females, as they appeared to have smaller ones with them; mind you, they were not that small. Joe touched my arm to point out about half way up the slope, standing real proud was a cracker of a ram, it was like he was watching us, as he kept lifting his head and looking at our hiding place. Clair was beside a bush and took a look down our slope, she must have heard something. She went very still and I saw just her hand move, she pointed at Joe then showed two fingers, Joe looked and slowly moved back. They were making lassoes, I wondered what they were up to, but had to trust them, I couldn't see Clair’s face but Joe was grinning. I had no idea what they were up to , Clair was to my left and nearer the edge, Joe was the same but to my right, they threw the lassoes and vanished, it was so bizarre. One second they were there next all I saw was legs vanish over the edge, like something massive had grabbed them, I quickly looked and what I saw, well I couldn't believe my eyes, I saw Joe and Clair being dragged down and to the left by sheep they had managed to catch. They were trying to bring them to a halt, but any shepherd would tell you, big sheep that live on the hills are bloody strong, a lot stronger than people realise. They two were just finding out, I was off after them, cutting across the higher ground to get a head of them, when Clair managed to bring hers to a halt. She crashed into a rock and was thrown the opposite way to being dragged, so I threw myself at Joe as he passed me and we managed between us to halt Joe’s one. I saw Clair had hers under some control, so I grabbed Joe’s sheep through him on his side and tied his legs, I then ran back and did the same for Clair’s, they had got a couple of rams. Clair explained afterwards that she had wondered at the big fellow across from us watching us when she barely had her eyes above the edge. So she thought what if he is watching a predator, she thought she better check, when she did look, she saw the two with their heads no more than five six feet away, looking at the ram across the valley. We didn’t even throw our loops just more like dropped them over their heads, then she smiled and said then we found out just how bloody strong they were, I didn’t even have a chance to scream she said. One of the rams was much older than the other; I reckoned the younger one was probably last year’s lamb, I couldn't understand why it was away from the flock, it would have been welcomed still.
    However, flocks lose our gain, we got down into the bottom of the valley where the flock had been and set up camp, when Clair and Joe asked wont this cause the sheep to not come back. I explained there was no chance we would see that flock again, anywhere near here since the fright they had, so we may as well use this as our camp to explore from. In addition, as I had watched the sheep in the flock go into some rocks one and two at a time I was betting there would be water in there. When we checked there was a nice little spring so we camped quite close, we had to carry the rams down on our shoulders; it was bloody hard work, with constant rests. I showed the guys how we would cook the big ram, we would use a pit oven, but first we would collect the wool and fat for lights.

    The one thing I did warn them about was bears; even the black bear is not to be taken lightly, as the smell of food will carry for