x\merican Big-Game Hunting 



that carnivorous animals who prey upon the 

 deer in these mountains respectfully let the 

 goat alone. Besides his defensive armor, he 

 is an ugly customer in attack. He under- 

 stands the use of his thin, smooth horns, and, 

 driving them securely into the belly of his 

 enemy, jumps back and leaves him a useless, 

 ripped-open sack. Male and female have 

 horns of much the same size ; and in taking a 



bite out of one of either sex, as T said, 



a mountain lion would get only a mouthful 

 of hair. 



But modern firearms have come to be 

 appreciated by the wild animals ; and those 

 which were once unquestionably dangerous 

 to pioneers, now retreat before the Winches- 

 ter rifle. Only a bear with cubs to defend 

 remains formidable. 



I said this to T , who told me a per- 

 sonal experience that tends to destroy even 

 this last chance for the sportsman to be 



doughty. T came on a bear and cubs 



in the spring, and of course they made off, 

 but his doe cauorht and held one little cub 

 which cried out like a child — and its con- 

 temptible mama hurried straight on and away. 



48 



