144 ON THE WATCH. 



people of Marroo; for over the stone tank of steaming 

 warm water, there was a construction of neatly-squared logs, 

 with an upper half-open storey, where the invalid bather 

 could rest after the bath, and enjoy the grand prospect and 

 salubrious mountain air without feeling the cold. In fact, 

 Eamzan informed me that such was the intention. 



Although not an invalid, the refreshing effect of a warm 

 bath certainly made me feel more fit to climb the steep hill- 

 side next morning. After a long ascent, however, I was not 

 sorry to sit down and search the ground with the spying- 

 glass, when we soon discovered a herd of ibex about a mile 

 off, and far above us. None of the animals were very big 

 old bucks, but as some of them carried fairly good horns, we 

 arranged for a stalk. By the time we neared the place where 

 we had first sighted them, they had moved off into very pre- 

 cipitous ground, where they were masters of the situation, 

 and were soon lost to view. As it was impossible to follow 

 them, on account of a wide intervening chasm, we concealed 

 ourselves among the rocks, and there waited for several 

 hours, until they reappeared and commenced to feed. 



As we lay there, hoping that they would shift their ground 

 to where it might be more practicable for a stalk, it was in- 

 teresting to watch them through the glass. Some were feed- 

 ing leisurely on the patches of herbage among the rocks, 

 whilst others lay resting their horns on the ground, or amused 

 themselves by having a playful tilt. But I observed that 

 there was always a sentinel, generally a doe, on the watch for 

 danger. As the sun was getting low, and we were far from 

 camp, I was at last most reluctantly obliged to shut up the 

 telescope and leave them to their gambols. 



Whilst descending we discovered two brown bears feeding 

 on the opposite side of a deep wide gully. They were a con- 

 siderable way off, but I longed to hear the " crack " of my 

 rifle again, so, at the risk of getting benighted, we proceeded 

 to look them up. They were on an open slope, but by dint 



