THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN GOAT. 389 



Nothing daunted at this failure, we commenced beating 

 again, and, after working two or three hours, came upon 

 an old ram that was promenading on the edge of a deep 

 canyon in which we were walking. The Indian fired, after 

 taking deliberate aim ; but instead of seeing the old fellow 

 come tumbling down, he merely sent down a shower of 

 loose stones, while he bounded away to less alarming quar- 

 ters. The " Son of the Forest " got disgusted then him- 

 self, for he gave a grimace, and started for the summit as 

 if he considered goats perfect nuisances, or wills-o'.-the- 

 wisp. After toiling all day, we came back to camp with 

 only one poor marmot, known as the " whistler," from the 

 quaint noise it makes, and I killed that as a specimen. 



Our return was awaited with some interest by a few of 

 the old men, who expected that my repeating rifle would 

 accomplish wonders, and that it would be able to supply 

 the encampment with goat's meat for several days; but 

 when they saw us come back almost as empty-handed as 

 when we started, some of them looked disappointed, but 

 they said nothing. One of the party killed a full-grown 

 ram by stealing upon him; but before delivering up the 

 ghost he tumbled into a chasm, and that fall broke the 

 horns, and mashed the body so much that the skin pre- 

 sented a sorry appearance. I took the measurements of 

 the animal, but, having lost my note-book, I cannot now re- 

 call them. I ate some of its flesh during the evening, but 

 I could not consider it to possess high gastronomic quali- 

 ties, it being rather dry, and goaty in flavor. 



The most successful hunt among the goats that I ever 

 enjoyed was in Montana. During one of my excursions 

 in that fine game region I was fortunate enough to meet 

 a pioneer who, in the early days of the country, before it 

 was overrun with gold-seekers, procured his meat by hunt- 

 ing, and in his company I spent two days in one of the 

 mountain chains that trend to the north and west from the 

 town of Deer Lodge. Our only companions, besides the 

 pack animals that carried our camp equipage, were two 

 rough-coated terriers that were trained specially for driv- 



