THE WILD GOAT. 1*79 



that these men should take up stations at regular 

 intervals round the western end of the hill, and 

 that each man should then climb to make his way 

 as best he could towards the highest western peak. 

 We thought that any goats that there might be on 

 the western end of the hill would naturally, upon 

 the first alarm, make their way to the eastern end, 

 and that to do this they would either pass through 

 the central basin or along the rim on either side 

 of it. We told the men not to shout or yell ; they 

 were merely to rap the trees and to make such 

 reasonable amount of noise as a wood-cutter or rattan- 

 collector would make in pursuing his vocation. As 

 soon as the Malays had moved off to take up their 

 stations round the hill we drew lots for places. The 

 central basin fell to my brother, the northern rim to 

 W., and the southern rim to myself ; and we betook 

 ourselves to our positions. 



I made my way along my side of the hill until I 

 reached the place where, at the end of the central 

 basin, the southern rim began to rise up into the 

 western peak, which was the point for which the 

 beaters were to make. I found a goat track, and 

 selected a hiding-place from which I could watch 

 it. In front of me the limestone rose abruptly in 

 great jagged crags and broken boulders, through and 

 among which tree-stems fought their way and tree- 

 roots crept. To my right a steep descent led down 

 through tumbled masses of stone and tangled vege- 

 tation towards the central basin, and on my left was 

 some broken rock ending in sheer precipice. Near 

 the base of the precipice was Hussein's house. The 



