248 THE IMAGE OF WAR 



By this time I imagine our natives had made up 

 their mind that my ibex was apocryphal ; and indeed 

 they went so far as to inform me that unless an ibex 

 fell dead to the shot it was no use thinking of getting 

 him, obviously disbelieving my statement that mine 

 had so fallen. I did not argue the point, simply 

 giving orders for Star to go with me next day, which 

 turned out wet and misty. I led the way to the 

 place where I had left my waistcoat, and where that 

 garment, thoroughly saturated but otherwise un- 

 injured, still lay ; and taking my bearings from that 

 point, guided the shepherd to the place whence I had 

 fired. Further I could not go, but explained in dumb 

 show where the ibex had stood, and where it had 

 fallen. Then I watched him skilfully turn the pre- 

 cipice, and at last reach the spot where my quarry 

 had stood. There he, too, disappeared, and I was left 

 in alternative hope and fear, well knowing that there 

 is nobody as good as one's self to find one's game, 

 especially if there is no meat to be got by it. How- 

 ever, when an hour had elapsed I felt pretty con- 

 fident. But I had to sit and shiver in pelting rain 

 for another, trying to minimise my discomfort by 

 lunch and tobacco, till at last Star appeared with 

 the head. He had found the beast at the very 

 edge of the sea, down to which it had rolled, and 

 as the birds had destroyed the skin he had not 

 brought it. V. had a blank day. 



"After all there's nothing like it." With these 

 words y. had closed the discussion which had ended 

 in our deciding that we would go absolutely alone 

 and stalk alone. And I had thoroughly agreed with 

 him. Yet here I was, not half a week later, pre- 

 paring to set out in the company of Star. Well, if 



