TWENTY YEARS IN THE ROCKIES. 263 



on the north side. There were five in the band, and they soon 

 disappeared down the canyon, about three hundred yards 

 away. Lafarge wanted to pursue them, but I was after goats, 

 for I could kill deer anywhere. So I told him we would not 

 try to molest the deer until after we had killed some goats. 

 We turned to the south and passed down a series of what 

 might be called stone steps, until we landed on a narrow shelf 

 covered with a fine moss and a few scrub pines. 



Here we found fresh sheep and goat signs. The ani- 

 mals had gone around to the west side of the mountain, 

 toward which we followed as fast as the condition of the 

 ground would permit. After a long walk, we rounded a 

 heavy boulder which had fallen from the ledge above, and 

 there surprised five goats that were carelessly sauntering 

 about, picking up the finest moss. They saw us and started 

 to run. I shot at the leader and killed him in his tracks. A 

 second shot killed another just as they disappeared around 

 a curve. We followed at our utmost speed but we never 

 again saw the remaining three, nor could we find where they 

 went. 



The dead goats were splendid specimens, whose sleek 

 black horns looked like polished ebony. As they were very 

 heavy we skinned them, and only took their skins and the 

 hind quarters, but these made a heavy load for us to carry 

 out of this mountain defile. After great exertion, we ascend- 

 ed our stone steps and rested on the mountain top. 



I felt now that my hunt was over, but Lafarge wanted 

 some deer meat. To please him we went after the black-tail 

 deer we had seen in the morning. I was sure they would not 

 go far, and while he went after our pack horses, I followed 

 the deer. They had passed ovr the brow of the hill, where, 

 after a close inspection, I found them lying among the rocks. 

 They saw us, ran toward the goat trail, and as they flew past 



