anged into an object most dreaded and detested. A party
of Mexicans in charge of a large herd of sheep, a few years since,
were bound to California. One night a large, ferocious wolf entered
the camp, and bit a man in the leg. Symptoms of hydrophobia very soon
set in, and in a short time the victim was a confirmed case of the
disease. His comrades had no proper means of taking care of and
transporting him, as they were hundreds of miles from the nearest
house. They were superstitious, and believed that all would die if
they kept the man's company any longer; accordingly, they drove a
stake in the ground, to which they inhumanly secured him; and, after
depositing a small allowance of provisions near by, they left him to
die. Human bones were afterwards found near the identical spot where
it was said this unfortunate incident happened, which afforded
strong circumstantial evidence that the man had eked out a miserable
existence soon after he was deserted by his so-called friends, and
also, that the truth of this story rested upon strong probability.

When the Americans first obtained possession of New Mexico, sheep
could be bought at the rate of twenty-five cents per head. The reason
of this was, the want of a market and the ease with which they were
raised. Cheapness of labor, also, assisted in reducing their value.
The wool of these sheep was rather coarse, resembling hair more than
wool. The only use in which it was employed, was for manufacturing
blankets, rough carpet, and in filling mattresses. The valley of
the Rio Grande is wonderful as a sheep growing country. The mountain
districts also cannot be excelled in this respect. Their fitness for
grazing is best exemplified by their abounding in the famous Rocky
Mountain sheep. In many respects this animal resembles the chamois.
They live on the tops of the highest peaks, eat the tenderest grass,
and produce the finest flavored mutton in the world. One of their
heads, with the horns, often weighs one hundred pounds. To shoot
them, requires all of an experienced hunter's skill, and, when he has
brought down one of these trophies, he feels he has done more than if
he had killed ten deer. The sight of one of these mountain sheep, as
perched on a high, rocky peak, is beautiful. The hostile Indians are
the main drawback in New Mexico, to the successful raising of sheep.

The usual modus operandi employed by Mexican herders, who cannot be
surpassed in their vocation, to whi