147 



Nimrod was discoursing learnedly 

 upon the animal whose tracks we 

 had seen that day. I like to get 

 my Natural History by object les- 

 sons, when in Goat-land learn about 

 goats. 



"The Oreamnos montanus harms 

 no one. He is a browser, and finds 

 his food chiefly in the buds and 

 twigs of the trees that creep up to 

 his fastnesses. Such patches of for- 

 est like this are all through his 

 range and it's here that you'll find 

 him, between the timber line and 

 the snowfields, which are his water 

 supply." Nimrod tilted his hat still 

 further on one side to shield his face 

 from the driving snow. 



"The goat clings to his habitat, 

 and he is not a very migratory ani- 

 mal. The individual range is rather 

 small if food and water be obtainable 

 and no alarming smells assail his 

 guide; but they sometimes swim 

 rivers, and a salt lick is a delicacy 

 for which they will risk a short 

 sally from their fortress homes. You 

 do not know of any about here, do 

 you, Snmmers?" 



Sommers shook his head. 



