OF SHOOTING AND FISHING = 153 
to follow the goats. There was not quite so much 
smoke in this valley, so J. managed to obtain some 
very good snap-shots at objects near at hand. Dis- 
tant scenes, however, were always more or less hazy, 
which was a pity, as it was one of the very wildest 
countries possible, and some of the views from 
high places were indescribably beautiful. A rather 
indistinct game trail led up the valley by the creek | 
and this we followed for several miles. There is 
an abominable black alder which grows by all these 
streams. Dozens and dozens of branches come 
from one root, and the weight of the snow in the 
winter time flattens these down to some extent. 
Should one approach an alder-bordered creek, he 
at once faces the points of these straight twelve or 
fifteen foot branches, and the difficulty of getting 
through is very great,—almost impossible with a 
pack horse unless one has an axe. 
While pushing through the forest, we saw three 
goats high up the mountain above us. I wanted 
to try them from where we were, but Dawson 
started to climb and we followed. We could occa- 
sionally hear displaced stones rolling down, but we 
saw nothing of our game until we were half way 
up, when they were seen to climb a rock slide and 
disappear over the top. They had winded us and 
were making very good time for goats. After our 
exertion we called a halt, to rest and to spy out the 
country. I was not so high up as the others and 
was sitting behind a rock when a golden eagle 
swooped around the corner with the intention of 
settling where I rested. I could easily have shot 
