, 1923-01-25

AtAti 'H' (0'E@
the cockpit upon that tiny patch of turquoise water
half a mile below, Choke Berry cove looked about
as big as a washtub. Instinctively, | measured
our wings through the corners of my goggles, then
looked down at the cove again. To all appear
ances we could not land the seaplane there with
out knocking down a mountain. But the cove was
bigger than 1t looked from half n mile above.
and two minutes after our ears began TO crack
from the increasing atmospheric pressure, we had
gllded over the treacherous rocks at the land end
of the little bay, and were slipping along over
the surface of the sea with the ease of a surf
scooter coming in to roost.
1t was wild goat hunting that had attracted us
20 San Clemente. We might have gone there by
boat from Los Angeles, but we had chosen 10 wing
our way across the sixty miles of open ocean
half a mile above the waves and we did 1t In 40
minutes.
San Clemente is one Of the several large islands
off the coast of southern California that has seen
but slight development. 1t is useful to man only
MS a sheep range. Cabrlllo, the Spanish naviga.
tor who discovered the island in 1912. pronounced
the Island worthless. Cabrillo did one construc-
tive piece of work there, however. On a voyage to
the Island subsequent to his discovery of IL. he
brought over II herd of Spanish goats, and IIber-
nted them for the purpose of propagating a source
of food supply for mariners who might be com.
PEELED TO land on the island in distress. The gonts
found a favorable habitat. Their numbers have
Increased tremendously. so that today the island
Is literally Infested with myriad herds Of wild
mountain goats. Through countless generations
the animals have reverted to the wild state until
they have lost nearly every trace of their original
domesticity. They nre now the widest Of wild
mountain stock. They mature enormous horns. In
habit the toughest and most inaccessible crngs OF
the Islands extraordinary ruggedness. and are ms
fleet of hoof as deer over ground where a man Is
scarcely able To move.
After breakfast next morning, we donned our
cartridge belts and hunting knives. shouldered our
Wholesalers. and set out IN the cactus strewn
intercourse of the canyon above our camp. 1t was
difficult going, and in spite of our best efforts to
avoid them. we gathered up cactus stickers until
we lelt IKE human pin cushions. Less than half
a mile from the camp we dropped in our tracks
IN the sand wash when nm unmistnkable "Bnb-
dh-ah J" came echolng around the face of the ridge.
There was no way Of approaching the herd
without the old sentinel goat" getting wise TO
us, so we just remained hidden until he hoped
down of his perch. The moment he jumped down
our campaign Of action was outlined. We would
scale the 500-foot ridge In front Of us. work our
way toward the goats along the summit of the
ridge. and then shoot down upon them from the
other side, and NJ the expense OF innumernbIe cac-
tus stickers in our flesh. we reached our objec-
tive.
The goat l aimed at collapsed In his tricks as ~
every hone in his body had turned TO wo,er
Jolnsion's billy did n backward hlp-iop. dove
headlong OFT the clin. and crashed Into the bot.
tom of the canyon 800 feet below followed by nm
avalanche OF loose dirt mud boulders.
Getting our game into camp consumed tho ras,
Of the day. and II wns n mans work nj that.
-Four days OF tramplng the hills. and Juggling
goats into camp reduced our weight consldernbrv
and SET me To thinking about how simple IL wouId
he to fly over the island with the senplane. locate
our game from the air, dive down. ana shoot n
Could we hit the gonts while going over tbeIr
backs M 80 miles an hour7 There wns the oues.
ton. The only way TO decide this was to try n.
We were discussing this plan Of aerial hunting