Of course the sheep are scattered over many miles of territory, but each band has a limited range, defined somewhat by the vicinity of water, and it is customary in California to drive the animals every night into a corral, or inclosure, usually fenced with brush, and with a narrow entrance. This corral is near water, and the sheep drink at morning and evening. The shepherd sleeps near by in a hut, or, in the mountain part of the Tejon Rancho, on a tepestra .
The corral is to keep the sheep together at night, and protect them in a measure from the attacks of wild beasts, which, curiously enough, are too cowardly to venture after dark over even a low fence.
The tepestra is to protect the shepherd himself against the attacks of grizzly bears, which are still abundant in the mountains, especially in the Coast Range. The tepestra is a platform about twelve feet high, built upon stout poles solidly set into the ground. Upon this platform the shepherd sleeps, in the mountains, at the entrance of the corral. The grizzly bear can not climb a pole, though he can get up a tree large enough to give his claws a hold. It is, I believe, not infrequent for a grizzly to stand up at the side of a tepestra at night, and try to rouse out the shepherd. But all the men are armed with guns, which they carry day and night.
The grizzly does not usually attack sheep.