120 FIFTEEN DAYS ON THE DANUBE. 



edge of its dwelling. I fired, both vultures flew down into 

 the valley unhurt, and I long heard the beating of their 

 wings as they rushed through the air. 



In a state of utter despondency I remained quietly crouch- 

 ing in my hiding-place, for I wanted to see whether the 

 vultures w r ould not return. Then I heard steps behind me. 

 It was the forester, who had hurried up on hearing the shot, 

 and while I was telling him of the miserable result of it, the 

 female bird again appeared near the nest, and was coming 

 straight towards me, but on seeing us turned off in another 

 direction. The forester now begged me to go to the second 

 nest ; so we quickly climbed up the steep slope, walked a good 

 way on the ridge of the mountain, and then, after going a 

 few hundred yards along a narrow footpath, which wound 

 down the opposite side of the hill, found ourselves at the 

 nest. 



This second nest was placed in a more awkward position 

 than the first, as the slope, being less steep, did not allow one 

 to see so well into it. I loaded my gun, for I had resolved 

 to rely on its powers and to abandon the rifle. On getting 

 within a few paces of the nest, a vulture flew off one of the 

 neighbouring oaks with a great bustle. Thinking that it was 

 the- owner of the nest, I was looking out for a good hiding- 

 place, and preparing to pass a quiet half-hour, when a 

 Slavonian woodman, a true Serb, with whom I managed to 

 communicate by the help of the Bohemian language, besought 

 me to keep my gun ready, as he thought the hen bird was in 

 the nest ; and he was right, for after a few blows with a stick 

 on the trunk of the tree, the vulture dropped off the edge of 

 its abode with a noisy bustle. There were branches above me, 

 and I did not \vish to make another doubtful shot, though I 

 could distinguish the form of the great bird through the 

 foliage. With outstretched head it looked carefully round, 

 and then, gradually expanding its wings, gave itself a strong 



