, 1923-01-25

over each other in their haste TO run-they knew
not where. Meanwhile my rifle was cracking. The
reports were scarcely audible above the roar of
the seaplane. The wind pressure was terrific. and
disturbed my aim, so that my first twoebuIlets did
nothing more than spit up a puff of dust on the
mountain top. Seeing where the bullet struck,
however, enabled me To correct my fire. The third
shot sent a big billy down in his tracks. and the
fourth bullet toppled another. The fifth and sixth
shots were clean misses. for by that time we had
iully fattened out with the goats and the land
scape going under us so fast that / was merely
wasting ammunition.
Crawling in Off the nose of the plane, we cir
cled the mountain top several times to be sure the
TWO goats were down to stay. They were both lying
Just as they had fallen, so we took our bearings
from the air with the view of retrieving our kill
later. In flying over the first herd JoI nston had
emptied his Winchester over the side of the cock
pit, but he was shooting at such a disa dvantage
from that position that he hadn't touched meat
with a single bullet.
l had convinced myself that 1t Is possible to
shoot land game from a flying alrplane. and that
1t was far easier than hunting afoot. BY sign
language | indicated to Johnston that he should
take his position on the nose of the plane to do the
next shooting while | crawled out on the wing
TO shoot the next herd of goats with the camera.
Then with Johnston on the nose, and me on the
lower wing we began soaring over the island.
Around on the east side of the island we
espled n lone billy standing on a cllff overlooking
the sea. We dived at him, and Johnston sent him
tumbling down the cliff onto the beach with n
well-aimed bullet. Then minutes later we had
landed on the sea, loaded the goat In the seaplane's
hold, and were in the air again.
About three miles along the shore from that
point we came over a great canyon leading back
from the sen. The canyon was fully fifteen hun
dred feet deep. and probably a thousand feet wide
at the top. Its walls were literally alive with
goats. With no opportunity Of protest to the pilot
and almost before j had time TO realize the hazard-
Gus nature of the flight. we were diving into the
canyon. Down we went 500 feet below the rim.
and dlved Mt the wall. From my position on the
wing | saw Jets OF fire fash from Johnston's rife,
and three goats toppled or the wall. In another
instant we were whlrling around In the canyon
with the airplnne wing on which I was standing
pivoting around Mt 90 miles an hour seemingly
within 10 feet of the perpendicular rock wall.
Landing the plane in the sea near the mouth of
the canyon we trudged up the wash, md came
back Juggling the three goats that Johnston had
put down. We intended TO fly away with them,
but in this we were bafied. with three heavy men
and four goats my mechanical bird refused to tnke
the air. We had TO content ourselves by leaving
two perfectly good goats on the shore. and dying
away with the two we could carry.
Returning to Choke Berry Cove after two and
n half hours In the air we transferred one OF tho
goats to Holloway's plane, and sent him winglng
his way toward Avalon. He declared he'd need the
goat when he arrived there II he ever expected 10
tell the story OF our aeronnutical hunting trip.