Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1879-04-30
4 Rocky Mountain Nimrod.

''Ehl" said Uncle Cate, with bewild-
cred look
''oh, nothing, said l; ego on, don't let
me interrupt you"
''When | was down in the San Juan coun-
try, bout five wears ago, continued he, n
prUspectin' around in Cuningham's Gulch
along of two OF three more of the boys. we
saw some goats cavOrtin' around on what
appeared - us to be the tip-tOp of the noun
tain. We made up our minds that those
goats belonged to us an prepared accordin'
one of us pulled off his boots an began TO
| climb up to drive the critters down while
the rest on us ambnshed at the only place
where We thought they could come. Pete
that's the feller that elm up-Pete when
ne got To the top found that he was about a
hundred foot above the goats, which was
! standin' on the edge of precipice, NOR n
800 foot high. Pete riZ up an hollered an
threw stones at the goats The critters did
not stop minnit to hold council on what
they should do, but Just gin one jump and
over the precipice they went. We thought
we had 'em sure-and though we'd a leetle
ruther shot 'em-yIt we didn't hev no special
! conscientious scuplesagin eatin goat which
had committed suicide. But we didn't eat
any of them goats, not by no means. They
Just came fiyin' down that perpendicular
rock fer MORN 800 foot, 'bumpty, bumpty.
bump. touchin' the wall Onct in bout every
sixty foot until they reached the bottom
whar they landed all right an struck out
like lightnin' for the timber. | 'SpoSe
'twouldakilled emifthey d jumped straight
down, but We see they knew trick worth
two of thet, an by touchin' the rock as they
come twas bout the same thing, We see, as
gOin' down stairs. Now, I've heerd folks
say the goats jump off of high rocks an
land on their heads, an bein' Kind of ac-
customed to buttin' it didn't hurt 'em none.
Them stories is "A little too tough for me.
an | advise We, stranger, fer To take no
stock in anythin' man tells We that he
can't say he saw himself. Goats is knowin'
critters, thar's no doubts about that, but
they don't do half the wonderful things
which fellers as has no regard for truth let
on they do. did see one thing onct, how
sumdeaver, which | never saw anything
| like il afore. Twas down among the
Sangre de Christie range whar was lookin'
around last fall. | saw an old goat walkin'
bout half way up big precipice on little
shelvin' path, which the same | saw petered
out bout the middle of the cliff. The goat
didn't know this, an came trOttin' along
as pert an sassy as you please Pretty
soon along came kid follerin', an then
wondered how they was agoin' to git out
of that scrape. The path KEEP gettin narer
an narerer till il couldn't a been morn six
inches wide, an then it ended altogether.
The old goat stopped and seemed kind of
surprised like; first he looked down-twas
bout 500 feet, guess-then she looked up,
an then she seemed to be thinkin' the mat
ter over. All at once she riZ up on her
hind legs an swingin' one of 'em over the
edge turned round on the tother as if on a
pivot, an then drappin' down on all fOurs
give jump over the kid an trotted back.
The kid didn't stop to 90 to the end of the
path, but just riz up an copied the old ones
motions exactly.
''Things I've seen, stranger, i know, but
| don't believe no fish stories bout goats,
jumping off rocks an lightin' on their
heads" Uncle Gabe calmly knocked the
ashes out of his pipe and with growl of
disapproval of the men who were digging
up the street for the waterworks, picked up
his gun and departed