Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1885-02-26
CHAMOIS.
Something About The .,.ine sn,a,,,,

Something About the Alpine Antelope.
That channels are capable of PASSING
places that even cat would hesitate
at is well known 10 every one who has
wandered much among the high Alps.
lew months ago ] was in the wild and
desolate region of Piz Vadred. where it
oyerhangs the great Grialeisch Glacier.
In the canton DIES Giisons. From this
glacier | traced chamois-tracks, hioh
up over some very steep snow slopes, 10
where the slopes ended, at an absolnta-
~ vertical wall of rock. This wall pro
Jected like buttress, and was proba-
bly, hfty or sixty feet broad, and 400
feet TO its base, while all a owe was
nothing but oyerhanging cliffs. Ont o
other side OF tue buttrcss the snow-slope
was continued, and here tie tracks
recommended exactly on level with
the other ones. How had the chamois
| passed that wall? That they had PASS
ed it was certain. If it was bv a lean
1t must have been terrific one, and in
their hight 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.
Tor their wonderful feet, though even
with the aid OF a good field glass was
unable to detect the presence Of the
slightest ledge in the precipice at that
spot. In spite of their surefootedpess.
however, these animals do sometimes
come to grief Mr.. Whymper, in his
ascent Of the Mattcrhorn,n relates
how he found channels in the neigh
porhood OF the Stockje, at the head of
the Lmutt Glacier. The animal had
| slipped on the upper rocks, rolled over
and over, down a slope of debris, with
| out being able to regain its feet: and.
Its horns catching in notch in the
rock, 1t was unable to free itself, and
had starved to death.
Recently | met hunter with cha
mois OF forty pounds over his back.
toiiing painfully down the lower slopes
| OF the Aiguille Vert. near Chamounix.
lie had been on the mountain for two
days, the result being the one animal,
which he had only recovered with great
d fliculty after he had shot it, as il had
fallen over the precipice. This is Il
common occurrence, but it is seldom n
hunter will leave his quarry behind
him. Three years ago some Germans
mountaineering in the Bernese Ober-
| land found the decomposed body of a
chamols resting on u ledge OF rock
about fifty feet below them; and few
moments later they were horrified to
observe the body OF Il man on grass
slope several hundred feet lower down.
| by making 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 INITIATED
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 channels
| MP above, told their own story. He
had shot the channels. 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 Il herd of
;hamois catches sight of II man, all
nope of coming up with thom that day
| is ut an end. Under such circumstan-
ces a hunter will often follow the tracks
over snow and ice all day, pass the
1 ~ III tiit SINFUL VI iOCh, Islke
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 some little dis
lance in the rear. These are the adj
vance and rear guards. Occasionally
they stop, sniff the air, and sean the
mountains, and at the slightest indica-
zion of danger they give the signal and
the whole lot go bounding away as if
they had been aught up by u whirl-
wind. Ii they happen 10 be on gla-
cicr or snow-iicid when startled they
almost invariably make for the rocks.
This is probably the result of some in
stinct which teaches them that their
tawny color renders them less liable to
| DE seen amongst the dark rocks than
| on the snow.-London Graphic.