Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-02-13
THE cHAMo,s.
Come Stories Of Interest Concerning This
Wild Mo%untaineer.

THE CHAMOlS.
come Stories Of Interest Concerning This
Wild Mountaineer.
That chamois are capable of passing
places that even a cat would hesitate
at is we'll known to every n who has
wandered much among the high Alps.
A few months ago l was in the wild and
desolate region of Piz Vadred, where
it overhangs the great Grialetsch Gla-
cier, in the Canton DIES Grisons. From
the glacier 1 traced chamois tracks,
high up over. some very steep snow
slopes, to where the slopes ended at
an absolutely vertical wal! of fock.
This wall projected like a buttress, and
was probably fifty OF sixty feet broad,
and four hundred feet at its base, while
all above was nothing but 0verhanging
cliffs. On the other Side of the buttress
the snow slope was continued, and here
the tracks recommended exactly on q
level with the other ones. How had the
chamois passed that wallp That they
had passed it was certain. If it was by
a leap it must have been a terrific, one,
and in their flight they would have had
to describe a horizontal curve like a
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 a good field-glass
l was unable to detect the presence of
the slightest ledge in the precipice at
that spot. In spite of their surefooted-
ness, however, these animals do some
times come to grief. Mr.. Whymper, in
his ''Ascent of the Matterhorn," relates
how he found chamois in the neighbor-
hood of the Stockje, at the head of the
Zmutt Glacier. The animal had slipped
on the upper rocks, rolled over and
over, down q slope of debris, without
being able to regain its feet; and its
horns catching in a notch in the rock,
it was unable to free itself, and had
starved to death.
Recently l met a hunter with a cham
OILS of forty pounds over his back,
toiling painfully down the lower slopes
of the Aiguille Vert, near Chamounix.
He had been or the mountain for two
days, the result being the one animal,
which he had recovered with great
difficulty after he had shot it, as it had
A"AAoA oNeA ."o PACSlPleC. Ills Is d
common occurrence, but it is seldom a
hunter will leave his quarry behind him.
Three years ago some Germans mount
aineering in the Bernese Overland found
the decomposed body of Il chamois rest
ing on a ledge of rock about fifty feet
below them; and a few moments later
they We're Mortified to observe the body
of a man on q grass slope several hun
dred feet lower down, By making q
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 s%plinters. His body
was terribly mutilated, and the face
was decomposed beyond all recognition.
His .bony hand still clasped the lock of
his gun. The position he was lying in,
and the chamois up above, told their
own story. He had shot the cbamois.
1t had rolled over on the ledge, and in
~endeavoring to it he had lost
his footing and must have been lying
tor many weeks where he was found.
If nee the sentinel buck of a herd of
chamois catches sight of a man, all hope
of coming up with them that day is at
an end. Under such circumstances a
hunter will often follow the tracks over
the snow and ice all day, pass the night
in the shelter Of some rock, take up
the trail again on the following morn
ing, when possibly his patience and
perseverance may be rewarded.
The chamois generally keep in herds
of from six to twelve heads, rarely
more. One of the number is always in
advance, and another one some dis
lance in the rear. These are the adj
vanced and rear guards. Occasionally
they stop, sniff the air, and C the
mountains, and at the slightest indi-
cation of danger they give the signal
and the whole lot 60 bounding away as
if they had been caught up by a whirl-
wind. If they happen to be IN a glacier
or snow-feld when started they almost
invariably make for the rocks. This is
probably the result of some instinct
which teaches them that their tawny
color renders them less liable to be seen
amongst the dark rocks than on the
snow.-London Graphic.