THE ROCKY MOUXTAIN GOAT. 359 



if on the lookout for some animal ahead. The younger 

 Indian got up and started back toward the gap, and just 

 then I heard a shot in the direction of Seammux; but before 

 I could bring my glass to bear on the spot, a dense fog 

 rolled up the opening, and enveloi)ed the whole scene in 

 darkness. Then came another shot, and another, until I 

 counted nine shots in quick succession. 



I became alarmed, thinking probably that my com- 

 panions had stumbled onto a Cinnamon Bear; and I was 

 on the point of starting down the ridge and through the 

 gap to join them, when the voice of Dick came up through 

 the thick fog, ''Catch 'im alive ! " and then a hearty " ha ! 

 ' ha I ha ! " from the same individual satisfied me that noth- 

 ing was wrong. So I resumed my seat, and- waited for the 

 fog to lift. It rolled away almost as suddenly as it came, 

 and I then discovered Dick and Seammux bending over 

 some animal, which, with the aid of my glass, I made out 

 to be a Goat. 



I turned to look for my friend on the cliff. He was still 

 in the S5.ime jjlace feeding away, but another actor had come 

 upon the stage. A dark object was creeping toward the 

 white one. It was the young Siwash. Stealthily he picked 

 his way along the side of the ridge until he got within what 

 appeared to me fifty yards of his prey. Then he halted; a 

 puff of smoke shot out in front of him, the Goat sprung 

 backward— in fact, turned completely over — and fell, a dis- 

 tance of fully five hundred feet, to the bottom of the cliff. 



In a short time the young Indian joined me, bringing 

 with him the mutilated skin of the unfortunate Goat. 

 Ever since the start, there had been a jealous feeling 

 between tlie two Indians — more noticeable on the part of 

 Seammux — because 1 had engaged tlie young Indian as 

 guide; and all points as to routes and the chances for game 

 were referred to him. I did this out of spite, simply to 

 punish tlie old fellow for the way he acted on a former trip. 

 He, however, missed no opi)ortunity to sneer at any propo- 

 sition the young fellow made; and now it was Till ic urn's 

 turn, and, as he seated himself beside me, he asked if I had 



