The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1885-05-07
CHANIOTS.
Something About tho Alpine Antelope.

That chamois are capable of passing
places that even 4 cat would hesitate
ut Is we'll known to every one who has
wandered much among tho high Alrs.
a few months ago | was in the wild and
desolatc region Of Piz Vadred wicro it
oVcrhangs the great Grialctsch Glacier.
in the Canton DIES Grisons. From this
glacier | traced chamos-tracks, high
up over some very steep snow slopes, to
whore the slopes ended, at an absolute
ly vertical wall of rock. This wall pro-
Jccted like buttrcSs, and was DrobA-
bly, fifty or sixty feet broad, and 400
feet to its base, while all a',ovc Was
nothing but ovcrhanging cliffs. On q O
other side Of the huttrrsS the snOw-Slopu
was continued, and here the tracks
recommended exactly on level with
the other ones. How had the chamois
passed that wallP' That they had pass
cd 1T 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 moro likely explanation is they
found cracks in the face Of the rock,
for their wonderful feet, though even
with the aid OF a good liold-glasS | WAS
unable to detect the presence of the
slightest lodge in the prccipicc at that
spot. In spite Of their surcfOotcdncss,
however, these animals do sometimes
come TO grief. MIR. Whympcr in his
'Ascent of the Mattcrhorn, relates
how he found chamois in the neigh
borhood Of the Stockje, at the head of
the Zmutt Glacier. Tho 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 n notch in the
rock, it was unable to free itself, and
had starved to death.
Recently | met Il hunter with n cha
mois of forty pounds over his back,
| toiiing painfully down the lower slopes
of the Aiguillc Vert, near Chamounix.
He had been on The mountain for two
days, the result being the one animal,
which he had only recovered with rrcat
difficulty after he had shot it, as it lad
fallen over the prccipicc. This is q
common occurrence, but it is seldom q
hunter will leave his quarry behind
him. Throc years ago some Germans
mountaineering in the BcrncSc Obcr-
| land found the dccomposcd body Of q
chamols resting on II ledge of rock
about fifty feet below them; and few
moments later they were horriiicd TO
observe the body OF Il man on L grass
| slope several hundred feet lower down.
By making dctour they managed TO
reach the spot. The poor fellow was
lying on his back, his gun-barrcl bent
double, and tho stock smashed to splin-
tcrS. Ills body was terribly mutilatcd,
and the face was dccomposcd beyond
all recognition. His bony hand still
grAspcd tho lock OF his gun. The posi-
ton he was lying in, and the chamois
uD above, told their own story. He
had shot the chamois. 1t had rolled
over on to the ledge, and in endcavor-
ing to recover it he had lost his footing
and must have been lying for many
weeks whore he WAS found
If once tho sentinel buck Of herd of
chamois catches sight of q man, all
hope of coming up with them that day
is at an end. Under such circumstan-
ccs a hunter will often follow the tracks
over snow and ice all day, pass the
night in the shelter of some rock, take
up the trail again on the following
morning, when possibly patience and
perseverance may be rewarded.
One of the number is always in adj
vance, and another one somc little dis
tance in the rear. These arc tho 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 anG
the whole lot go bounding away as i
they had been caught up by whirl
wind. If they happen 70 bo on Il gla
ccr or snow-ficid when startled they
almost invariably make for the rocks
This is probably the result of somo in.
stinct which teaches them that theiI
tawny color renders them less liable tc
be seen amongst the dark rocks than
on the snow.-LonI0n Graphic.