OF SHOOTING AND FISHING — 159 
taking a little trouble, I was able to go to the top 
of the hump without exposing myself to the view 
of anything in the basin. Looking over, I saw some 
ledges running out on the face of the cliff and on 
one of them about two hundred yards away, were 
the goats. One appeared to be a billy, but he was 
well behind a big boulder, of which there were a 
number on the slope. Where they were appeared 
to be grassy, as some soil had accumulated on the 
ledge and upon this grass and weeds had grown, 
giving it the appearance of a green slope. I 
watched one sitting on its -haunches and looking 
over the basin and valley with great apparent in- 
terest. It gave me a good chance, but it was a 
female and I wanted the male which appeared to 
be licking the rocks, with its shoulder well hidden. 
Assuming that all the others were females, I 
watched this chap and when at last he walked out, 
I fired and dropped him. For a time, he lay still 
and then giving a move, he slid off and fell to the 
ledge below where a stone sticking up prevented 
his going further. It so happened that one of the 
others was a splendid ram, but I was watching the 
one I had hit so intently, that I failed to notice 
the other until it was too far off. While lying on 
the ridge, the wind appeared to blow hard from 
me to the goats, and yet they paid no attention 
whatever. 
My guide, having seen the result of the shot, 
came up by the direct route, and together we 
climbed to where the animal lay. I did not enjoy 
going along the ledge; while it began on a level with 
