THE MOUNTAIN GOAT AT HOME 57 



white. Clearly, they were heading for Bird Mountain. 

 We planned to meet them wherever they struck the pre- 

 cipitous side of the mountain ahead of us, and at once 

 began our stalk. 



From the basin which contained the little two-acre 

 tarn, the rocky wall of Bird Mountain rose almost per- 

 pendicularly for about eight hundred feet. As we were 

 passing between the lake and the cliff, we heard bits of 

 loose rock clattering down. 



"Just look yonder!" said Mr. Phillips, with much 

 fervor. 



Close at hand, and well within fair rifle-shot, were 

 four goats climbing the wall ; and two more were at the 

 top, looking down as if deeply interested. The climbers 

 had been caught napping, and being afraid to retreat 

 either to right or left, they had elected to seek safety by 

 climbing straight up ! It was a glorious opportunity to 

 see goats climb in a difficult place, and forthwith we 

 halted and watched as long as the event lasted, utterly 

 oblivious of our two big billies. Our binoculars brought 

 them down to us wonderfully well, and we saw them as 

 much in detail as if we had been looking a hundred feet 

 with the unaided eye. 



The wall was a little rough, but the angle of it 

 seemed not more than 10 degrees from perpendicular. 

 The footholds were merely narrow edges of rock, and 

 knobs the size of a man's fist. Each goat went up in a 

 generally straight course, climbing slowly and carefully 

 all the while. Each one chose its own course, and paid 

 no attention to those that had gone before. The eyes 



