372 THE IMAGE OF WAR 



valley were, however, obviously disturbed. Here and 

 there jays were scolding ; and twice a fox barked 

 farther up the glen. The blue rock-pigeons, too, with 

 which these forests swarm, were restless, contin- 

 ually rising with loud wing-flappings to settle again 

 farther on. 



For about a quarter of an hour we lay, examining 

 the hillside with the glass. From time to time I 

 heard stones rolling on the opposite face, and told 

 Anastasi, who is somewhat deaf We failed, how- 

 ever, to discover the animal who was setting them 

 in motion. At last one seemed to rattle on our side 

 — in fact right below us. I peered over the knoll, 

 and there — not much over forty yards away — were 

 the rams. 



I was in no position to shoot, so bobbed down 

 again, and then with beating heart stole to the 

 edge farther along. Nothing to be seen ! As I 

 feared, I had been detected ; if I saw the moufflon 

 again it would probably be to my right, their heads 

 having been turned in that direction. 



I turned round and sat down, drawing my knees 

 up for a rest. I was right ; about a hundred yards 

 away they appeared, galloping. No chance was 

 afforded then, but the steepness of the hill soon 

 checked them. A little under two hundred and 

 fifty yards away the smaller ram halted and looked 

 back, but he was partly covered by the trees. His 

 fellow, somewhat to his right, stopped too, directly 

 afterwards, and in the open. Thinking of the range 

 and the height he was above me, I aimed high on the 

 shoulder and pressed the trigger. 



I must confess to a most unorthodox " Whoo- 

 whoop ! " as I saw him collapse backwards to the 



