A Cold Vigil. 



had rubbed them and restored life. At the end of the two hours 

 we could endure the cold no longer, so threw stones out from behind 

 our cover in the hope of shifting the ibex. Then one of those 

 extraordinary turns of fortune occurred which must be experienced 

 to be realised, for, having shifted the ibex, a heavy mist swept 

 down from the top of the heights, completely obscuring them, 

 and when it lifted the ibex were out on the far side of the 



NURAH WATCHING IBEX. 



ravine a good 400 yards away! Nothing now remained but 

 give vent to one's feelings and then go back to camp, not an easy 

 matter, for my boots were frozen so hard I could not get them on 

 and consequently had to run down hill more or less bare-footed. 

 On October i6th I went after the same herd, and found them 

 up amongst the rocks, to reach which we had another long climb 

 lasting some hours, until at last we came up with our friends of the 

 day before. They were out on an open slope, to which I could not 



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