IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN COUNTRY. 65 
and killed them in great numbers. Sometimes, too, they 
drove them swiftly to the edge of a precipice, over which 
they fell, and hundreds at a time, were killed. "he In- 
dians were very fond of this way of hunting. 
4. The Rocky Mountains are quite different from 
Any mountains in the eastern half of the United States. 
If you could look down 
üpon them from above, 
You would see two great 
tanges, side by side, with 
% wide valley between 
Uhıem. "They are so lofty 
Chat their lowest passes 
Ave higher than the high- 
°St peaks of the Appsa- 
lachians. Many short 
Fanges, crossing between 
them, cut up the great 
inner valley into broad 
basins, some of them dark 
with forests, and. others 
bright with rich prairie 
STass, All the lower and 
Middle. slopes of these 
Mountains are thickly covered with forests. 
5. Higher up, the trees become smaller and smaller, 
until only bare gray rocks appear, with here and there 
Patches of grass or of bright mountain flowers. Above 
Shese, are the high, wild peaks, covered with snow even 
N summer, and glistening above the dark forests and 
Tücks like erowns of silver. "These peaks have all sorts 
9f rugged, broken forms; and the whole mountain sys- 
Rocky Mountains.