ACEOSS BOSNIA 225 



nuisance, as we had to bivouac at the next place we 

 were to visit. It cleared up, however, at about eleven, 

 and by three we reached our camping-ground in the 

 Hrcava Valley. The first thing we did here was to 

 set two Turks to catch trout, which, fishing in the 

 most primitive way, they did without any difficulty, 

 getting eight pounds in an hour and a half. In the 

 meantime the Mukhtar, or headman of the village, 

 which had its summer huts near at hand, had brought 

 us such luxuries as he had to offer. In the past he 

 had been a noted hunter, having actually once killed 

 a bear with a knife after following it for seventy-five 

 hours. Now, however, he was fast dying from con- 

 sumption. He gave us a good account of the chamois 

 in his district, and I decided to try for one next day, 

 the desire to "go and kill something" having become 

 irresistible. A screen of beech boughs having been 

 erected at one side of us, we turned in on our beds 

 of hay, and slept the sleep of the just. 



Next morning I donned an old stalking kilt, which 

 rather ''astonished the natives," and taking the '400 

 I had used at Antimilo, in preference to a new and 

 untried double, I started off on a two hours' climb. 

 The hills in this neighbourhood are very steep, and 

 the ground is eminently suited to chamois. 



The programme for the day was moving the game 

 with a few beaters. I was posted on a peak of rock 

 covering a deep gorge below. The sun was warm, 

 and I twice went to sleep — and nearly fell over. I 

 saw some chamois on the move, but far awav, and 

 not coming in my direction, and I began to despair. 

 At last my guide began to signal me to move towards 

 him, and I heard stones rolling down in the gorge. 

 Presently several chamois appeared, working upwards 



p 



