Mountain Game 151 



of watching the queer habits of the game, all com 

 bine to add to the hunter s enjoyment. 



White goats are self-confident, pugnacious be 

 ings. An old billy, if he discovers the presence of 

 a foe without being quite sure what it is, often re 

 fuses to take flight, but walks around, stamping, and 

 shaking his head. The needle-pointed black horns 

 are alike in both sexes, save that the males are a 

 trifle thicker; and they are most effective weapons 

 when wielded by the muscular neck of a resolute and 

 wicked old goat. They wound like stilettos and 

 their bearer is in consequence a much more formi 

 dable foe in a hand-to-hand struggle than either a 

 branching-antlered deer or a mountain ram, with his 

 great battering head. The goat does not butt; he 

 thrusts. If he can cover his back by a tree trunk 

 or bowlder he can stand off most carnivorous ani 

 mals no larger than he is. 



Though awkward in movement, and lacking all 

 semblance of lightness or agility, goats are excel 

 lent climbers. One of their queer traits is their way 

 of getting their forehoofs on a slight ledge, and then 

 drawing or lifting their bodies up by simple mus 

 cular exertion, stretching out their elbows, much as 

 a man would. They do a good deal of their climb 

 ing by strength and command over their muscles; 

 although they are also capable of making aston 

 ishing bounds. If a cliff surface has the least slope, 

 and shows any inequalities or roughness whatever, 



