RAPIDLY DISAPPEARING TRIBE. 195 



An early start placed Dyche on the top of the moun- 

 tain by nine o'clock, and a magnificent spectacle was 

 presented to his view. The heavy snow extended 

 down in irregular tongues of white to the velvety 

 green of the trees below. Lower down the frost- 

 touched quaking asps gave a glorious colouring to 

 the scene with their leaves of green and gold, just in 

 front of the sombre background of burnt forest on 

 the opposite slope of the mountain. The clouds had 

 passed away and the sun shone with unwonted brill- 

 iancy, while the pure and invigourating air gave 

 life to everything. This was the home of the Rocky 

 Mountain goat. Here he lives, away from all other 

 animated nature, and here he should roam for 

 ages to come. He has chosen for his home the land 

 where rugged crags and peaks stand as an almost in- 

 surmountable barrier against other animals and even 

 man is kept aloof. The sparse grass and such shoots 

 as he feeds on are out of reach of other ruminant ani- 

 mals, while the bleak and dreary mountains offer no 

 enticement to the carnivora. He is harmless and is al- 

 most worthless as far as food is concerned ; his skin is 

 so tender that it is valueless for^commercial purposes. 

 All these facts being taken into consideration, the 

 natural supposition would be that the Rocky Moun- 

 tain goat would increase and become common on all 

 the high and bleak mountains. But such does not 

 seem to be the case. 



The goat, at one time, is said to have roamed the 

 high mountain-tops of the Rockies and Cascades 

 from Northern Colorado to Alaska, but now he is 

 found only in the most inaccessible places of the far 



