The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1889-08-29
A HUNT FOR NOBLE GAME.
TRAILING THE MOUNTAIN GOAT IN
THE WlLDS OF IDAHO.

Chicago Travelling Man Tells His Tx
pcrionce in Bringing Down the Fleet
Footed and Rare Animal-Ee Had u
Genuine Attack of Buck Fever"
left Boise City, Idaho, with a half bre0o
guide and two pack mules Our destination
was tAe Sawtooth range of mountains, the
only spot in the United States where the
Rocky mountain goat is to be found. After
q tedious tramp of week we found ourselves
near lofty peak of the range known as Sill
YER mountain Here we pitched our camp
and began the hnnt for game Two days:
passed without Success
The third day. jus> before sundowu. q
sharp exclamation from the half breed, fol
lowed Icy a confused jabbering of English,
French and Indian words, suddenly put my
tired senses on the alert
My eyes quickly followed the direction in
which his finger pointed. Outlined against
the SKY on point of rocks far above us, gaz-
ing down evidently with mingled fear and
curiosity, stood mammoth male specimen
of the Identical s,arno for which our pilgrim
age had been made to the Sawtocth range.
He was apparently out of reach Of my rife,
but, nevertheless, good Judgment deserted
me just when it was needed and | blazed
away at the old fellow. The bullet knocked
up cloud of dust fifty feet below him.
Ee gave a contemptuous snort, reared on
bis hind legs, turned on them as if on pivos
| and again stood facing us. had my rifle to
my shoulder again by this time, having
raised the sights triile, and gave him the
benefit of another shot, this time making the
dirt fly just under his nose. Another snort
and again he stood erect and pirouetted like
ballet dancer.
TIE FIRST VICTIM.
Just then heard the report Of q gun by
my side Tho half breed had tried bis hand,
and with much better success His bullet
struck the goat squaroly in the breast and
penetrated his heart He gave shrill whis
ting cry, as if of warning, sprang into tie
! air, and then bis body came rolling and tuE1-
| bling down the hillside until it landed at cur
| feet.
There's more Of them where he car1o
| from" said the half breul as he quietly drew
his knife and began to remove the hide while
the body still guvered. wanted to rush up
restrained me.
mo uso ROW; all gone. wait till morning"
said he, Tomorrow W. get all we want"
Ho was as cool as tie mountain stream
which ran down the hill ide short distance
away, while was experiencing genuine at
tack of "buck fever and shaking like leaf
! H1Vevcr, l managed to recover my compos-
ure, and examined the animal before me. lie
was one Of the largest Of his species, and must
have weighed over 800 pounds. In build
know Of nothing he moro nearly resembled
than the little black esrs in Lincoln park.
Els body was large AMI heavy, and his legs
short and stuntcd. But bis hideI It was tho
prettiest pclt he'd ever set eyes ON during all
my experience in tho northwest Snowy
white in color, with long, straight hair like
an Angora goat, it almost made my mouth
water as |. looked at it, and in moment !
had reached into my pocket, pulled out ten
dollar gold piece, aud given it to the half
breed with tho understanding that it was to
be my individual property. have it now in
my home in Hyde Park, arb no amount of
money could buy it from me, although Yves
offered five times its price shortly after my
return to Boise City, and could have sold it
on several occasions since then at q handsome
advance
THE SECOND DAYS ECNT.
Early next morning we swallowed some
coffee, nibbled a cracker, and, shouldering
our guns, started up the mountain side to-
wards the spot where the goat had been killed
the night before. Reaching the point of
rocks, the half breed searched for few mo-
nents and then said:
Come on"
followed him. Tho snow was crushed
and broken for several hundred yards, show,
ing that Immediately after tho death of the
leader the flock Of a dozen or more goats
which had been with him had suddenly STAN
pcded and fed without any particular ain
except to get away from the spot Then The
trail narrowed, and finally it appeared as Il
some of the younger bucks had taken com
r1and and led the retreat. Day was just
breaking, and above us the peasis were CLINT
cd with the gold Of the coming sun. Tht
half breed bro:.e into rapid trot, and il
taxed me to the utmost to keep up with him
For nearly mile ho kept up hisspeed, ant
then suddenly stopped
mot far of now" said the half breed
''They sleep pretty close to here"
J Then with a warning to go slow ant
. watch every footstep | made him lead thu
way We were approaching narrow poia
of rocks, and Just before reaching it b,
stopped
''Around there" was the brief injunction
me climb over rocks and scare EN- back
Then you get shot at en-"
Ny nerves wero Ike steel by this time, ant
concealing myself behind tree waited
The half breed wriggled over the peak ant
: disappeared Half an hour and not sound
+ Then | heard far away two faint reports
Instantly hraccd myself. In a few second
the flock came racing round the corner an,
|. came straight toward me. had placed my
, self so that | calculated they would pas
scarcely dozen yards away Past me the.
raced. and | let the leader have it SQUARED,
$ behind Che shoulder he sprang to his fee
: and then dropped dead female goat Jas
a behind him stumbled and fell over the body
. The others huddled together, and | emptie
!. shot after shot into the flock from my repeat
! er until all except four suddenly turned an
sped back in the direction from which the
originally came They had scarcely disar
pcarcd around the rocks before heard til
half breeds gun. He had hurried up on th
trail, and was just in time to do some livel
T work The frightened animals Enally race
: b1ck past me. but had not expected thi
D move, and 50 they were out of danger befor
] could use my gun.
r On bsing assured that it was uselos
: to pursue the game farther broke cam
!. and came hach to Boise City, and thence t
Chicago, bringing with me the half doze
hides you sss thare and also my treasure
vhich Is naw 1t h5y.e, Chicago Tribune