In marked contrast to the whiteness of the body, stand out the 

 jet black eyes, horns, and hoofs. The horns curve backward and 

 are sharp-pointed, but short, measuring only from five to ten inches, 

 while the hoofs are furnished with a rubberlike cushion on the in- 

 side and a keen edge on the outside, to carry their wearer equally 

 well over ice or rocks. Full use -does he make of this convenience 

 for he proves false every suspicion of awkwardness founded upon 

 his clumsy frame. No animal in all our land is more adept at 

 climbing or more fond of the apparently inaccessible than is he. 

 The ascent and crossing of perpendicular walls is his peculiar de- 

 light and he never chooses a flat or smooth surface for his travels 

 if he can possibly find a steep or rough one. 



This able climber indeed owes his preservation and safety not 

 to size, quickness of motion, or cleverness, but solely to the dif- 

 ficulty and danger of man's attempts to reach his native haunts. 

 He is considerably larger than a full grown sheep, measuring four 



40 



