6 WATCHED BY WILD ANIMALS 
ones most likely to befall this or any other 
mountain climber. 
The white Rocky Mountain goat really is 
the wild mountain climber. Of all the big 
animals or the small ones that I know, none can 
equal him in ascending smooth and extremely 
precipitous rock walls. That mountain climb- 
ing organization of the Pacific Coast which 
calls itself “Mazama,”’ meaning mountain goat, 
has an excellent title and one peculiarly fitting 
for mountain climbers on the icy peaks of the 
Northwest. 
Like all good mountain climbers the goat is 
sure-footed and has feet that are fit. His 
stubby black hoofs have a dense, rubbery, re- 
silient broad heel. The outer shell of the hoof 
is hard, but I think not so hard as the hoofs of 
-most animals. 
One season in Alaska I came close upon a 
party of seven mountain goats in the head of a 
little cafion. I supposed them cornered and, 
advancing slowly so as not to frighten them un- 
duly, I thought to get close. They at once 
made off without any excitement. At a mod- 
erate pace they deliberately proceeded to climb 
what might be called a smooth, perpendicular 
wall. It leaned not more than ten or twelve 
degrees from the vertical. There were a few 
tiny root clusters on it and here and there a 
