CAPTIVE MOUNTAIN GOATS 341 



would strike the pan fairly in the centre, and knock it 

 into oblivion. After half a dozen snubs of this kind, I 

 ceased to offer objectionable food, and in Fernie made 

 haste to buy a bagful of cabbage. The goats accepted 

 the amendment, and three times a day thej stowed away; 

 cabbage most gratefully. 



Morning, noon and night, those five little white 

 hobby-horses were ravenously hungry; and every day at 

 noon they were very thirsty. How they would have suf- 

 fered had they been dependent, throughout the whole 

 of that long trip, on such casual attention as busy and 

 overworked baggagemen and express messengers could 

 have given them! I think that without the care of an 

 attendant they would have died before reaching New 

 York; and I felt grateful to myself for having had suffi- 

 cient intelligence to provide a convoy for each shipment 

 of goats coming to us. 



The green clover began to heat in the bags, and in 

 the bottoms of the crates at night. Every morning the 

 uneaten grass which served as bedding was very hot, 

 and the goats were very uncomfortable. Not a moment 

 was lost in throwing overboard that material. The 

 importunate billies and nannies stamped impatiently, 

 whined with queer little nasal squeaks, and pawed vigor- 

 ously at the sides of their crates. It is a good thing for 

 an uncomfortable animal to disturb the peace until its 

 wants receive attention. Sometimes when the trap-door 

 top was opened, an impatient kid would hop out, and 

 require to be gathered up and re-introduced to his nar- 

 row temporary home. 



