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" on. The thought of " kid and mint-sauce" flashes across our mind 

 " for a moment, but then the saddle-back may still be asleep on his 

 " stony couch. No alarm has yet been communicated, as far as we 

 " can see, except to the kid. Mother and infant move slowly 

 " away and pass behind one of the boulders of rocks referred to 

 " above. In another second we see three or four more heads 

 " appear. Alas ! a warning has been given. We have nothing 

 " left for it but to scramble on through the grass till we come in 

 " sight of the buck's resting place. It is away ahead and to the 

 " right. He may still be there ! we sight it at last, but the blank 

 " rock meets our gaze ; the buck also is gone ! Presently we See 

 " below us the herd led by the saddleback, careering far away to 

 " distant slopes below, and our chance is gone ! Oh ! the weary 

 " pull up the face of that steep mountain side ! how disappoint- 

 "ment with its leaden weight added to our toil, and made the 

 " dragging dreary length of that trying climb longer and longer 

 " still ! How strong the contrast when on a subsequent excursion 

 "we stalked another saddleback, almost at the same place, and 

 "succeeded in winning his trophy ! then how joyously we scaled 

 " the mountain path, how light our heart and heels ! How we 

 " recounted to ourselves (preparatory to telling the tale to those 

 " awaiting us in camp) the intricacies and difficulties of the stalk ; 

 " how we had watched for hours, and how a change of intention on 

 " the part of our quarry, (by what induced who knows ?) led him 

 " into danger ; and how with " firm hand and eagle eye" we slew 

 " him on the spot ! Such is the " stalking the ibex." Have I so 

 <' told the tale, as to inspire others with an appreciation of what 

 " grand exciting sport it is ? If so, my wish is won and my task 

 " is done. 



HAWKEYE. 



" NOTE. I have not been able to obtain precise information as 

 " to the height and size of the Ibex. I have seldom had an oppor- 

 " tunity of taking the measurements myself. I am told that the 

 "buck averages from 9J to 10^ hands, or from 39 to 42 inchest 

 " Jerdon says from 32 to 34, but he has evidently under-estimated* 

 " for large does have reached 35, and the saddle-back always appears 

 " at least half a foot taller. The horns of the buck run from 12 to 



