SEVENTH DAY. 117 



as they could not keep up with these untiring Slavonian 

 animals, while the reins remained tied to the box ; so that 

 these intelligent ponies followed the road so familiar to them 

 entirely without guidance, and on reaching the crest of the 

 hill stood still and waited for their drivers to come up. 



Sometimes we saw vultures and various eagles circling 

 high up, and I fired a ball at a Sea-Eagle which flew past 

 within about two hundred yards. The bullet must have 

 almost grazed the great bird, for it gave a turn over, and my 

 companion congratulated me with joyful exclamations on my 

 successful shot ; however, it rose again and flew on un- 

 injured. In the same way I also missed a Cinereous Vulture. 

 During the last mile the road was incredibly steep, and I 

 should never have imagined that one could get up such hills 

 with a vehicle ; there was also a good chance of rolling pretty 

 far down into a valley, either to the right or left, if matters 

 went wrong. 



When we had got on to the ridge we had a wonderful view, 

 in various directions, over the wide preserves of woods, 

 mountains, and lonely glens. Cinereous Vultures were sweep- 

 ing mute and noiseless over the trees below us, and seen from 

 above this bird looks even much grander than when soaring 

 overhead. 



Our road now led us along the very narrow and perfectly 

 flat crest of the mountain, where, after proceeding a few 

 hundred yards, we halted, as the forester said that we were 

 quite close to the first Cinereous Vulture's nest. At Count 

 Chotek's suggestion, I slung my rifle on my shoulder and 

 gave my gun to the forester, as the Cinereous Vulture was 

 said to be so tough that shot had no effect whatever on its 

 thick doublet of feathers, and my only chance of succeeding 

 would be with ball. 



I must confess that my heart beat pretty fast as I ascended 

 a very steep slope to the first nest of this, the largest of our 



