BEDS DUG IN SNOW 79

a terrible precipice on one side that must have dropped
off for an almost sheer descent of 2,000 feet, and below
it were a series of steep rock slides which extended away
down below the timber line. The other side of the moun-
tain was of fairly easy grade; it was sightly flattened on
the top, and had a snow bank on it which protruded eight
or ten feet out over the edge of the cliff.

When not very far from the top, I spied a young billy
almost on the summit, and a nanny and a kid lower down.
To get near the billy without disturbing the nanny, it
was necessary to work round to the edge of the precipice
and then crawl over the highest point of the snow. Apart
from those already mentioned there did not appear to be
another goat in the vicinity—it was all open ground—and
it did not seem possible for any to be there without their
coming under my observation. It was therefore some-
what of a surprise to me, when just as I raised myself to
get in my shot, to see two little black points sticking up
out of the snow: they were about ten feet away and
slightly closer to the edge of the cliff. That they were
the horns of a goat that was snugly hidden in a hole in
the snow was beyond doubt; also, if the owner of them
was not some tough old gentleman, the wished-for meat
was very close at hand. To allow him to rise to his feet
was inadvisable, as there was a good chance he might
struggle over the edge of the cliff unless killed stone dead.
So I pushed my rifle out, took a sight between the horns,
and gave a whistle. This had the desired effect ; up rose
the head and the horns, showing me it was a young billy.
I put a bullet through his neck. He sank back without
even a tremor. .

The effect of that shot was astounding. Goats rose, as
if by magic, from out of the snow all around me. I had
actually crawled past three of them. One was between
me and the edge of the cliff, and at one time the distance
between us could not have exceeded six feet. Altogether
there were sixteen of them, the farthest not more than
forty yards away, most of them less than half that distance.
For a time they just stood and stared at me, but when I