174 CAMP FIRES IN THE YUKON 



strewn course, when far up the gorge and almost at 

 its upper end we saw two goats climbing down one 

 side of the rocky wall. The writer had never seen 

 a mountain goat before, and sat down on a rock to 

 study these animals through the glasses, for it was 

 difficult to believe that they were not polar bear, as 

 their long shaggy white coats, their immense bulk, 

 and their method of climbing were strongly sugges- 

 tive of the white bear; but the short ebony spike 

 horns and the long beards finally brought home the 

 conviction that these animals were really goats. 

 We watched them climb down the almost perpen- 

 dicular, but jagged face of the canyon, and then with 

 apparent ease climb up the opposite wall, an under- 

 taking quite beyond our wildest fancy. 



After they had disappeared over the rim, we con- 

 tinued our climb and reached the end of the canyon, 

 where began our ascent of the slope. Part way up, 

 where we had a clear view of the slope from the 

 rim over which the goats had disappeared, Wolcott, 

 who was in advance, located the two animals, but 

 with a fine sense of sportsmanship refrained from 

 shooting until the writer, following behind the 

 guides, should come up to participate. It was an 

 up-hill shot at three hundred yards with the game 

 moving away from us, but it seemed wise to take 

 the chance, as we had no opportunity whatever of 

 climbing around and heading the game; so I told 

 my hunting companion to name his goat and com- 



