246 FOUR-FOOTED AMERICANS 



tall than the Bighorn, and his smooth black horns do 

 not look powerful, but if I could show you one of his 

 hoofs, you would see how he manages to cling to the 

 face of almost upright rocks. 



"This hoof has a soft clinging cushion in tlie middle 

 and an edge sharp as a skate ; the foot of one of the 

 few animals who in bitterest weather declines all sliel- 

 ter, and often lies down in the middle of a frozen pool 

 in face of cutting wind, acting as if he enjoyed it." 



" Why doesn't he freeze to the ice and die ? " asked 

 Dodo. 



" That is a question I cannot answer. He and his 

 cousin, the Musk Ox, have the secret of keeping warm 

 that nature taught their race in the bygone age of ice. 

 But you can understand how interesting the Bighorn 

 and Mountain Goat are, and see why, being within a 

 few hundred miles of their haunts, I determined to find 

 them, crossing the l^ad Lands to the mountains where 

 I had friends, without desiring to meet the Grizzly, 

 who introduced himself to me quite unexpectedly." 



" What are Bad Lands ? " asked Nat. " Places full 

 of robbers ? " 



" No; Bad Lands are the parts of the country, beauti- 

 ful to see from the distance, but where there is so little 

 moisture that few things better than cacti and such 

 like plants will thrive. The lime-filled,, parti-colored 

 soil being filled with cracks and canons, it is a region 

 good for game but had for the farmer, bad for the cattle 

 raiser and very bad for the sportsman who, if overtaken 

 by darkness, must make his camp where he is, for there 

 are no tree signs to guide him on his way." 



'' Are these Bad Lands all in one place ? " asked Nat. 



