368 THE IMAGE OF WAE 



know, that so rarely happens. I could not even 

 have a running shot at him, for the ewes galloped on 

 each side of him as he passed. 



Four more moufflon we saw that day, but such 

 chances come not again. 



It must not be supposed that old Anastasi showed 

 me game every day. On the contrary, we had six 

 blank days about this time ; and at last he told me 

 it was no use going on, as the mushroom-gatherers 

 had driven all the game into the sanctuary. (This 

 mushroom, which is of an orange colour, is not bad 

 eating. It grows everywhere under the pine-needles 

 at this season, and whole villages — men, women, and 

 children, mules, donkeys, and dogs — come into the 

 forest for it, generally bivouacking till the beasts 

 are laden. ) 



This drawback had for some time been an obvious 

 one to me, and at last I decided, though my permit, 

 v^as only about half-time expired, to give it up till a 

 better season. 



The Commissioner (or Governor) of the Papho 

 Province had most hospitably invited us to his house 

 at the capital, Ktima ; and after staying a fortnight 

 with him we took a little native house, buried in 

 gardens, and filled up the time with small - game 

 shooting. 



It really seemed as if my luck with the moufflon 

 in 1900 was to be on all-fours with my fortune in 

 the previous year, for, when I had obtained a permit 

 for the last month of the season, the 15th of 

 January, the day which ought to have seen me 

 beginning shooting, found me on a sick-bed, suffering 

 from blood-poisoning, resulting from centipede-bite, 



