158 CAMP-FIRES IN THE CANADIAN ROCKIES 



followed it southward until it ran up the southern peak 

 far above timber-line, and led me quite near those temp- 

 tation goats. Always those goats! I felt quite put out 

 with them because they had fed toward me instead of 

 away from me. 



For half an hour I amused myself with watching 

 them, and testing their senses by whistling to them, say- 

 ing, "Ah!" in various tones, and mystifying them gen- 

 erally, until at last they took alarm on general prin- 

 ciples, and concluded to leave. Then in some haste they 

 climbed over the summit. As they disappeared I turned 

 and strode down the eastern slope, campward, after as 

 soul-filling a day as I ever spent in the lap of Nature, 

 but without having fired a shot. I reached camp about 

 half an hour before sunset, and found that the reward 

 for my abstemiousness on those temptation goats was all 

 ready. Charlie Smith had just arrived, after a weari- 

 some tramp of twenty-four miles, and reported that he 

 had visited all the goat carcasses. At those of our first 

 two goats he found two wolverines, and took a long shot 

 at one of them. There were fresh grizzly-bear signs all 

 about! 



" And to-morrow, Director," said Charlie in conclu- 

 sion, " you're going to have a chance at a silver-tip ! " 



Outwardly, I received this assurance with brisk ap- 

 preciation, but inwardly I felt that the chances against 

 me were as nine to one. 



