The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1846-05-23
For the Girls and Boys.
The Adventures of Chamois
Hunter.

ttunCera
'Ah write il down, and I'll tell you some
thing about the cunning ofthe chamos, that
no one Inns heard before, said Syrian chm
mois hunter, TO Mr. Kbol, the traveller; md
in truth he told him most wonderful and i'm
teresting story, which shows not only the cum
ming of that animal but the wonderful and
great love ofits young ones which God has
implanted in its breast The channels is a spe-
Gle of wild goat, which is found in Alpine
countries, and esteemed valuable for the sake
of its skin, of which is made very fine kind
ofleather The chamois hunters often run
great risks in pursuing them; and the relation
of the Syrian chamos hunter was as follows
'The previous year he had found n gels or
female chamos ready TO bring forth. lie had
followed her for eight days, TO see where she
would deposit her young Sometimes he took
off his. shoes, and climbed on his bare feet,
like cat; and once, when he had to Chamber
up the steep face of rock, he cut off all his
buttons from his clothes, that they might not
make jingle. At last he discovered the two
young ones in niche at the top ola high
rock, in a kdth, as the hunters call il, The lii
tie ones were sporting round the mother, who
glanced, from time TO time, down into the
valley, TO watch for any hostile approach. To
avoid being seen, our hunter made great
circuit, and so reached path that led 10 the
kath. Exactly in front of the niche the rocks
descend perpendicularly to an immense depth
At the back was another steep descent. Some
fragments of rocks reformed kind ofbridge
between the large masses; but these were
placed too high TO be accessible to the little
ones, and could only he available for their
mother. The hunter rejoiced as he contenl-
plated this position, and pressed upon the an
imals whose escape seemed impossible.
When the old one caught sight of him. she
measured with glance the unihvorable dis
position OF the rock, she sprung upon the hun
ter with the fury that maternal love will
breathe into most timid creatures The dan
ger of such attacks is less from the thrust,
which is not very violent, than from the en-
deavor of the animal 10 fix the point Of lis
horns, which are bent like fish hooks, in the
legs of the hunter, and then press him back
down the precipices. Ii hnppens sometimes
that the chamoiS and the hunter thus eutang-
led, roll into the abyss together. Our hunter
was in no condition To fire at the advancing
chamoiS as Inc found both hands necessary 10
sustain himself on the narrow path; he there
fore warded offthe blows as well ms he could
with his feet, aud kept still advancing. The
anguish ofthe mother increased. She dash
ed back TO her young, coursed round them
with loud cries, as IL to warn them of their
danger, and then leaped up the before named
fragments ofrock, from which the second hut
more difficult egress from The grotto was TO he
won. She then leaped down again to her
lit,le ones, and seemed to encourage them TO
attempt the leap.
In vain the little creatures sprang and woun-
ded their forehead against the rocks that were
too high for them, and in vain the mother re-
peated again and again her firm and graceful
leap, to show them the way. Az this was
the work ola few minutes whilst the hunter
had again advanced some steps nearer. He
wus just preparing TO make the last effort,
when the following picture, which wos the
particular circumstances he referred TO in
speaking OF the chaniois' cunning met his MS
tonished eyes;-The old cmmois. fixing her
hind legs firmly on the rock behind, Ind
stretched her body To It's utmost length, md
planted her fore feet on the rock above thus
forming temporary bridge of her back.
The little ones seemed in n minute 10 COM
prehend the design of their mother. spTnng
upon her like cats and thus reached the poiut
ofsafetv; the picture only lasting long enough
10 enable their pursuer To make the last step.
He sprang into the niche, thinking himself
now sure ofthe young chnmois, bur all three
were off with the speed of the wind, and
couple of shots that he sent after The iugitives
merely announced by their echo 10 the sur
rounding rocks that he had missed his game
--khops Austria.