194 CAMP-FIRES OF A NATURALIST. 



and decided on the place to which he would jump 

 when he fired the first shot. Training the gun on a 

 low shoulder-spot on the first goat, he fired and then 

 jumped to his feet. The other three animals were 

 going at full speed towards the timber. A yearling 

 ran along a log and received a shot as it turned its 

 side to the hunter. It rolled from the log, and a shot 

 was sent after the hindmost of the other two, which 

 immediately sank down. The old nanny was over 

 two hundred yards away by this time and was nearing 

 the top of the ridge, but as the gun cracked she tot- 

 tered and fell. Four goats now lay dead in a straight 

 line up the hill, killed with four shots. Dyche could 

 not restrain his enthusiasm, and bounded up the hill 

 while the mountains echoed with his shouts. 



An examination showed that four more fortunate 

 shots could not have been made. The first went 

 through the shoulder, the second through the liver, 

 the third went high, striking in the hip and ranging 

 forwards under the ear, while the fourth also went 

 high, through the shoulder and ranged forwards. It 

 was now half-past three, and by hard work the entire 

 load of skins was taken to camp by half-past eight. 

 After supper was over and his shins and knees were 

 well rubbed with vaseline, the naturalist sat up until 

 midnight dressing the skins. Next day, while going 

 for the bones, a fine mule buck was killed, which sup- 

 plied the camp with meat. Three or four days were 

 spent in getting the specimens to camp and in caring 

 for the skins and bones properly, and then another 

 hunt was taken over the grounds, which were now 

 becoming familiar to the hiinter. 



