FOUR GOATS IN FOUR SHOTS. 193 



over the ledge as calmly as if it were their usual 

 route. The naturalist found that he must retrace his 

 steps and ascend to a higher ledge before he could 

 work around the crag. Having done this, he was 

 moving slowly along the side of the mountain, keep- 

 ing good watch over the country, when he saw four 

 goats on the opposite side of the canon. 



The goats were over half a mile away, and were 

 evidently those which he had followed to the crag. 

 They were not as watchful as the sheep which he had 

 hunted, for they fed along with heads down. An 

 hour's stalk took the hunter to the spot where the 

 goats had last been seen, but they were gone. Fear- 

 ful that they had taken the alarm, Dyche walked 

 carefully along the ridge. Looking over into a 

 little draw, he saw them all feeding in a grassy spot 

 on the opposite side of a deep canon. Another hour's 

 hard work brought the naturalist near the game. 

 The animals were now in plain sight, not over two 

 hundred yards away. Skulking and crawling the 

 hunter reached a log, and behind this he lay and 

 watched the goats. 



His first impulse was to shoot, for they were 

 within easy range, but a moment's reflection showed 

 him that they were feeding towards him. They 

 moved slowly, feeding part of the time and then 

 moving about aimlessly, but all the while coming 

 nearer and nearer. At last they were within a 

 hundred yards and in a comparatively clear place. 

 Carefully examining his gun to see that it was in 

 good order and that the sights were in place, Dyche 

 prepared for the shot. He examined the ground 



