THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN GOAT 9 



are those of an overfat, aged, and rheumatic 

 dog. He appears on the verge of a collapse. 

 Every jump is a great effort and lands far 

 short of the spot aimed at. Nearly all grace- 

 ful movements were omitted in his training. 

 Nearly all the actions of this woodeny fellow 

 suggest that a few of his joints are too loose and 

 that most of the others are too tight. He gets 

 up and lies down as though not accustomed to 

 working his own levers and hinges. 



Many times I have seen a goat trying in an 

 absurd, awkward manner, after lying down, to 

 remove bumps or stones from beneath him. 

 Holding out one or more legs at a stiff angle, he 

 would claw away with one of the others at the 

 undesired bump. Sometimes he would dig off 

 a chunk of sod; other times a stone or two 

 would be dislodged and pushed out. It seems 

 to be a part of his ways and his habits not to 

 rise to do this, or even to seek a better place. 

 However, an acquaintance with his home ter- 

 ritory gives one a friendly feeling for him. 

 After seeing him composedly climbing a pin- 

 nacle, apparently accessible only to birds, one 

 begins to appreciate a remarkable coordination 

 of head and foot work. 



Although the goat appears clumsy he is the 

 animal least likely to slip, to stumble, to miss 

 his footing or to fall. While the mountain 



