The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1885-03-13
CHAMOIS.
About the Alpine Antelope.

summing ABOUT the Aipine AntelOpos
That channels are capable of passing
places that even cat would hesitate
at is well known to every one who has
wandered much among the high Alps.
A few months ago was in the wild and
desolate region of Piz Vadred, where it
overhangs the great Grialetsch Glacier,
in the Canton DIES Grisons. From this
glacier l traced chamois-tracks, high
up over some very steep snow slopes, to
where the slopes ended, at an absolute
ly vertical wall of rock. This wall pro-
jected like buttress, and was proba-
bly, fifty or sixty feet broad, and 400
feet to its base, while all above was
nothing but overhanging cliffs. On the
other side of the buttress the snow-slope
was continued, and here the tracks
recommended exactly on level with
the other ones. How had the channels
passed that wallp That they had pass
ed it was certain. If it was by leap
it must have been terrific one, and in
their flight they would have had to de-
scribe horizontal curve like bow.
The more likely explanation is they
found cracks in the face of the rock,
for their wonderful feet, though even
with the aid of good field-glass l was
unable to detect the presence of the
slightest ledge in the precipice at that
spot. In spite of their surefootedness,
however, these animals do sometimes
come to grief. Mr.. Whymper, in his
"Ascent of the Matterhorn," relates
how he found channels in the neigh
borhood of the Stockje, at the head of
the Zmutt Glacier. The animal had
slipped on the upper rocks, rolled over
and over, down slope of debris, with
out being able to regain its feet; and,
its horns catching in notch in the
rock, it was unable to free itself, and
had starved to death.
Recently met a hunter with cl l.
mois of forty pounds over his back,
toiling painfully down the lower slopes
of the Aiguille Vert, near Chamounix.
He had been on the mountain for two
days, the result being the one animal,
which he had only recovered with great
difficulty after he had shot it, as it had
fallen over the precipice. This is q
common occurrence, but it is seldom a
hunter will leave his quarry behind
him. Three years ago some Germans
mountaineering in the Bernese Ober-
land found the decomposed body OF a
chamois resting on q ledge of rock
about fifty feet below them; and a few
moments later they were Mortified to
observe the body of man on o grass
slope several hundred feet lower down.
BY making a detour they managed to
reach the spot. The poor fellow was
lying on his back, his gun-barrel bent
double, and the stock smashed to splin-
tiers. His body was terribly mutilated,
and the face was decomposed beyond
all recognition. His bony hand still
grasped the lock of his gun. The posi-
ton he was lying in, and the chamois
up above, told their own story. He
had shot the chamois. 1t had rolled
over on to the ledge, and in endeavor-
ing to recover it he had lost his footing
and must have been lying for many
weeks where he was found.
If once the sentinel buck of herd Of
channels catches sight of man, all
hope of coming up with them that day
is at an end. Under such circumstan-
ces hunter will often follow the tracks
over snow and ice all day, pass the
night in the shelter of some rock, take
up tho trail again on the following
morning, when possibly patience and
perseverance, may bo rewarded.
One of the number is always in adj
vance, and another one some little dis
lance in the rear. These are the adj
vance and rear guards. Occasionally
they stop, sniff the air, and scan the
mountains, and at the slightest indica-
ton of danger they give the signal and
the whole lot go bounding away as II
thew had been caught up bv n whirl-