Climbing for White Goats 



soon carries the animal out of the way of 

 danger. The goat does not very often 

 run, nor does it often raise its head to 

 look about it like a deer or a wild sheep. 

 Usually, even after being shot at, it holds 

 its head low, and seems to regard one 

 from beneath its eyebrows. When at last 

 convinced that there is danger, it moves 

 off, either slowly pulling itself up over the 

 rocks, or if the way is level, going with 

 a swinging, sidelong gait, w^hich reminds 

 one of a pacing dog. 



But the goat does not always run away. 

 Sometimes, in its simplicity, it turns to 

 fight. An acquaintance of mine who 

 discovered one lying under a shelf of rock 

 took his hunting companion above it and 

 up to within fifteen or twenty yards of it, 

 and then, by throwing stones at it, at- 

 tempted to drive the game out to where 

 the hunter could see it. To his astonish- 

 ment, the animal bristled up in fury and 

 was advancing as if to attack him, when 

 the hunter shot it. The male goats are 

 quite pugnacious among themselves, and 

 often those killed bear evidence of severe 

 battles which they have had with others 

 of their kind. 



The goat is marvellously sure-footed, 

 and from the day of its birth, is practised 



116 



