MOUNTAIN-GOAT HUNTING 



the ridge. A shot through the shoulders caused this one to 

 collapse, and then roll over and over, and disappear in the 

 wake of the first one. I now discovered that I was in the 

 midst of quite a band of these animals, but as the remaining 

 ten goats visible were females and half-grown young ones, I 

 allowed them to climb up the cliffs unmolested. When they 

 had finally disappeared over a ledge above, after stopping re- 

 peatedly to gaze at me in stupid wonderment, I descended the 

 narrow chute to where I expected to find the goats which I 

 had shot. One was struggling in its last throes on the edge of 

 the ledge below, and did not need another shot. The other 

 goat, however, was sitting on its haunches, and watched me 

 closely as I lowered myself in its direction. When in a par- 

 ticularly trying position, where I could not use my carbine, 

 this goat staggered to its feet, and, dragging itself to the edge 

 of the cliff, plunged over; I soon found it again, resting on the 

 brink of a black chasm, and, crawling up to within three yards, 

 I gave it a finishing shot, whereupon it fell into the narrow 

 creek-bottom thirty yards below, rolled over a waterfall forty 

 feet high, and lodged in the pool beneath the falls. 



I skinned the heads of both goats, which were fine specimens 

 of a male and female. Then, loaded down with the trophies, 

 I cautiously descended into the valley. Contrary to their usual 

 habits, at the report of the distant rifle-shots both old billies 

 on the other side of the canon had begun to climb skyward, 

 and were now mere white dots on one of the bleak peaks which 

 towered above the valley. I travelled up the valley several 

 miles, seeing many moose - tracks and continually flushing 

 ptarmigan, and reached the camping-place about three o'clock. 

 Howe and Mac came into the camp long after dark that night 

 with the news that niy friend had shot two rams. The next 

 day it rained steadily, and Howe, the cook, and I remained in 

 camp while the Indians made a trip to bring in the sheep 

 heads. 



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