RECREA TION. 



20I 



along a steep, rocky slope, beyond a 

 deep canyon. It being impossible to 

 get any nearer, we opened fire. My 

 first shot was a little high and lowering 

 my aim the next shot struck just 

 behind the shoulder, breaking the spine 

 and causing death almost instantly. W. 

 was less fortunate, having wounded one 

 which managed to climb high up among 

 the rocks where it was impossible to get 

 at it. 



By this time the sun was sinking, and 

 being fully three miles from camp, with 

 a rough country to travel, we hastened 

 the skinning process, and burying the 

 fore-quarters in the snow, I shouldered 

 the hind-quarters, while W. slung the hide 

 over his shoulder. Carrying, besides one's 

 rifle, fifty pounds of goat three miles, 

 over a rough, steep mountain, is not the 

 easiest work imaginable, and by the 

 time we reached camp I was about 

 played out ; yet I felt jubilant at 

 having killed my first mountain goat. 

 Our companions were glad to see fresh 

 meat in camp, and being nigh on to 

 starving, were not long in preparing a 

 feast. According to our tastes, the meat 

 compared favorably with venison, instead 

 of being too strong to eat, as claimed 

 by many goat hunters. I have since 

 heard that there is a vast difference in 

 flavor between those on this side and 

 on the other side of the Cascade Range. 

 As to the cause I am ignorant, though 

 it is probably owing to a difference in 

 their feed. 



That night we slept on pine boughs, 

 and although the beds sloped at an 

 angle of at least 40, we rested as though 

 sleeping on feathers. The next morning 

 we moved camp to the summit of the 

 ridge, and about 3 p. m. stationed our- 

 selves on likely feeding grounds. My 

 stand was On a high ledge of rocks, 

 above a small grassy meadow. When it 

 grew late, I began to despair of seeing 

 anything, and putting my rifle down 

 beside me, filled and lighted my pipe, 

 when, on looking down the mountain, I 

 saw five goats leisurely feeding, entirely 

 unconscious of my presence. 1 managed 

 to get a fair shot before they took alarm, 

 and another as they ran, and had the 

 satisfaction of seeing two fall. The other 

 three went in the direction of W.'s 

 stand, although they changed their 

 course before coming within reach of 

 him. 



Picking my way down the rocks, it 

 now being too dark to see any distance, 

 I found blood, but could see nothing of 

 my goat. I finally found where they 

 had fallen over the cliff, into the gulch 

 below. 



By this time W., who had heard my 

 shooting, joined me, and we decided it 

 would be useless to attempt to make our 

 way down after the game in the dark, 

 and so we returned to camp. W., C, 

 and K. had again been unfortunate, not 

 even getting a glimpse of anything. 



The next morning W. and I went 

 after the dead goats, and after a diligent 

 search, succeeded in finding only one, 

 the other having lodged in the rocks 

 below, where it was impossible for us to 

 get to him. Skinning the one, we found 

 the meat in good condition, excepting 

 one hind quarter, and throwing that 

 away packed the balance to camp. We 

 devoted the rest of the day to jerking 

 the meat. 



1 had now accomplished my object, 

 and was willing to rest until the others 

 had done likewise. Several days passed 

 without any more goats being killed ; 

 when one evening about dusk, W., K., 

 and I were seated around the camp fire, 

 when C. came marching in with the hind 

 quarters and hide of a big buck. He 

 had a hard time in getting him, having 

 shot five times at long range, all the balls 

 having taken effect, the last at about 

 350 yards, doing the work. 



W., who had been doing some pros- 

 pecting, told us that he had a herd 

 spotted about three miles north of camp, 

 and the next afternoon asked us to join 

 him in the hunt. K. and I accepted, 

 while C, not feeling well, decided to 

 stay in camp. We made up our minds 

 to make a night of it and took our 

 blankets and some grub. The travelling 

 was dangerous, being over long stretches 

 of steep snow banks, where a misstep 

 would have been likely to result fatally. 

 We took the greatest precautions by cut- 

 ting steps in the snow and using our 

 rifles as Alpine stocks. 



A couple of hours brought us to the 

 grounds, when W. gave us each a good 

 stand, going himself about a half mile 

 further. About five o'clock, the smoke 

 from the forest fires in our locality be- 

 gan to settle, making it impossible to 

 see far, but a little later we heard several 

 shots in W.'s direction. Half an hour 



