302 THE IMAGE OF WAE 



Dimitri insisted that I had broken the leg of the 

 buck at which I had fired. This, if true, was a record 

 for me, for the range must have been nearer five 

 hundred yards than four. I could only regret not 

 having used my glass. 



The morning of the 22nd was dull and threatening. 

 Nevertheless we started early — V. to the place where 

 we had seen the big herd, and I, with the boy Dimitri, 

 to that where we had heard the bucks fighting the 

 evening before, which was on the southern side of the 

 big ravine. I had not gone very far before the boy's 

 mother and a small brother, perhaps seven or eight 

 years old, joined us. 



About ten o'clock we reached a point on the edge 

 of the great ravine. The woman had left us some 

 time previously, I suppose to look after the sheep. 

 Dimitri now sent his little brother to drive the 

 ground to our left, and presently he pointed out to 

 me two bucks making rather sharply for the big 

 ravine itself We started to cut them off. Before 

 we had gone far I measured my length, with some 

 ingenuity succeeding in excoriating both wrists, 

 my right knee, and left ankle. However, I consoled 

 myself with the reflection that if I had not had gloves 

 on it would have been worse, as these had saved my 

 hands, and limped on. 



In good time, it seemed to me, we reached an outly- 

 ing spur — a capital position — and took post. Dimitri 

 signalled to the little fellow where to go, ' and he 

 obeyed perfectly. It seemed a certain shot, but the 

 result was commensurate with all our Joura luck 

 — the beasts had broken out somewhere, and were 

 gone. 



The boys then took me to the eastward cliffs, and 



