Six RAMS
This is one of the “straight pieces.” The language is terse and under control, though a few westernisms creep in: cayuses, for example, and the pragmatic saying, ascribed to “The Indians here, who are mighty hunters,” “Any gun good, shootem good.” The topic, theme and tone are close to his stories written in character as Tex, but the language is correct and fluid—almost bland by comparison. Tex’s gifts of characterization and description come through here, even if there is no scope for his usual irony and gentle mockery. Details concerning the work of an outfitter/guide, such as the stacking of camp materials to hand in case of snow, to facilitate set-up, add a sense of reality and nearness to the material. The details of the hunt itself might interest hunters, given the enormous changes in animal stock, techniques and legal regulations since that time. Here Tex also mentions the ram he shot for the collection of the Smithsonian, meant to represent a normal animal, not a trophy head; this is one of a very few mentions of his long-term relationship with the Smithsonian.
—AG