American Big-Game Hunting 
that carnivorous animals who prey upon the 
deer in these mountains respectfully let the 
goat alone. Besides his defensive armor, he 
is an ugly customer in attack. He under- 
stands the use of his thin, smooth horns, and, 
driving them securely into the belly of his 
enemy, jumps back and leaves him a useless, 
ripped-open sack. Male and female have 
horns of much the same size; and in taking a 
bite out of one of either sex, as T said, 
a mountain lion would get only a mouthful 
of hair. 
But modern firearms have come to be 
appreciated by the wild animals; and those 
which were once unquestionably dangerous 
to pioneers, now retreat before the Winches- 
ter rifle. Only a bear with cubs to defend 
remains formidable. 
Il ‘said this to.T , who told me a per- 
sonal experience that tends to destroy even 
this last chance for the sportsman to be 
doughty. T came on a bear and cubs 
in the spring, and of course they made off, 
but his dog caught and held one little cub 
which cried out like a child—and its con- 
temptible mama hurried straight on and away. 
48 
