136 FIFTEEN DAYS ON THE DANUBE. 



Thereupon we got up, hurried down the slope, crossed the 

 glade, began to ascend the opposite hill, and in about half an 

 hour reached the great pear-tree, which stood on such a steep 

 incline that from a hundred yards above it one could see 

 straight into the nest. There was a small open covered with 

 hawthorn bushes on one side of the tree, and on the other we 

 noticed, at a few paces from the nest, a glade through which 

 flowed a babbling little brook. As we had neither seen nor 

 heard the bird fly off, we were sure that it must be in its 

 dwelling, so I looked about for a good place from which to fire 

 at it with the rifle in case it rose at the first noise. 



I must have stood motionless, with my gun up, for at least 

 ten minutes; for breaking sticks, shouting, hammering the 

 tree with the hunting-knife, and throwing up bits of wood 

 were all ineffectual the lazy bird would not stir. 



I was shaking with excitement to such a degree that I was 

 obliged to come to some decision as soon as possible ; for being 

 on the watch so incessantly had made me quite incapable of 

 firing a straight shot ; so by the forester's advice I hastened 

 up the slope to see if I could not look into the nest from above, 

 and, rightly enough, found a place from which I could plainly 

 see the bald grey-blue head, large round back, and the point 

 of the tail. I sat down in order to get my wind again, and 

 followed all the movements of the bird with the glass. The 

 vulture must have been quite gorged, for it was evidently 

 indifferent to all that went on around it, and every effort that 

 we made to rouse it from its lethargy had no effect. There it 

 lay, with its head thrown back on its shoulders, and its beak 

 held straight down and gaping. It was probably distressed 

 by the burning heat of the sun, and only shook its head from 

 time to time to keep off the insects which were swarming 

 round the stinking nest. Relying on the steadiness of mv 

 hand, I resolved to risk a shot at the small mark of the vul- 

 ture's head. The rifle cracked, the mud at the edge of the 



