58 CAMP-FIRES IN THE CANADIAN ROCKIES 



looked ahead to select the route, and the front hoofs skil- 

 fully sought for footholds. It seemed as if the powerful 

 front legs performed three-fourths of the work, reach- 

 ing up until a good foothold was secured, then lifting 

 the heavy body by main strength, while the hindlegs 

 " also ran." It seemed that the chief function of the 

 hind limbs was to keep what the forelegs won. As an 

 exhibition of strength of limb, combined with sure- 

 footedness and nerve, it was marvellous, no less. 



Often a goat would reach toward one side for a new 

 foothold, find none, then rear up and pivot on its hind- 

 feet, with its neck and stomach pressed against the wall, 

 over to the other side. Occasionally a goat would be 

 obliged to edge off five or ten feet to one side in order 

 to scramble on up. From first to last, no goat slipped 

 and no rocks gave way under their feet, although nu- 

 merous bits of loose slide-rock were disturbed and sent 

 rattling down. 



It was a most inspiring sight, and we watched it with 

 breathless interest. In about ten minutes the four goats 

 had by sheer strength and skill climbed about two hun- 

 dred feet of the most precipitous portion of the cliff, and 

 reached easy going. After that they went on up twice 

 as rapidly as before, and soon passed over the summit, 

 out of our sight. Then we compared notes. 



Mr. Phillips and I are of the opinion that nothing 

 could have induced mountain sheep to have made that 

 appalling climb, either in the presence of danger or 

 otherwise. Since that day we have found that there are 

 many mountain hunters who believe that as a straight- 



