132 THE BED MOUNTAIN OF ALASKA. 
After an absence of some twenty minutes, Peeschee 
appeared beyond the goat, which started on a quick run 
toward the bluff. There he was seen to pause suddenly, 
and wheel about. But it was too late. A puff of smoke 
arose from between the rocks, a sharp report rang out 
across the valley, and the goat made his last leap, falling 
headlong over the bluff to the boulders at its base. Solo- 
mon and Peeschee now descended the cliff in more lei- 
surely fashion, and presently were seen bending over the 
game, which was evidently stone-dead. 
What were the two men about ? Were they preparing 
to bring the carcass of the goat into camp ? Not they. 
The day's work had been too arduous to invite a " lug " of 
a hundred-and-fif ty-pound goat across half a mile of rough 
rocks and deep snow. They busied themselves for some 
time at the foot of the bluff, and then were seen coming 
back to their party. Peeschee bore his share of the 
results of the hunt — a hide of snow-white hair, reaching 
an almost furry softness on the neck and breast parts of 
the animal. Solomon did not want the hide. The 
handle of his hunting-knife had been cracked in some 
way the day before. He proposed to occupy his leisure 
moments in manufacturing a new one from the glossy 
ebony horns, the points of which protruded from the 
pocket or pouch of his hunting shirt. In each hand, it 
should be added (Peeschee carried the empty rifle), Baro- 
nov swung what might well be taken for an uncommonly 
large " Indian club." They were the hind-quarters of 
