VALLE D'ARRAS 171 



of a bear. Lunch at the Gave side opposite the grange 

 where we were going to put up. After lunch beat the 

 same side farther up the valley, going through the most 

 lovely glades among large beech trees, like an English 

 lawn. My post was in a stony couloir, which rose in 

 precipices to the left, and fell away in a wild ravine to 

 the right. We had found tracks of a she-bear and 

 cubs going up, but nothing turned up in the beat. 

 Went down to the cabane about 4.30. 



Thursday, 2$rd May. Up at four. Long time 

 getting the men off. Beat the south side, crossing the 

 Gave by bridge of fir trees the men had made. They 

 determined to beat the beat we made yesterday morning 

 west in case of bouquetin being there, in which case they 

 would be almost sure to go to the top cornice, which 

 they would then beat east towards my post. Antoine, 

 Celestin, and I went on ahead, Phillipe the Mayor 

 following us at some distance. On his way up he 

 spied the horns of a male bouquetin lying down, but 

 unluckily, though he followed us as fast as he could, he 

 did not overtake us, and on going back for his gun, 

 which he had left to mark the spot, the bouquetin was 

 gone. My post was behind a fallen withered tree, 

 commanding a more or less treeless hollow. Phillipe 

 was above, and Celestin below me. It began to rain. 

 I had been about an hour at my post when I saw three 

 bouquetin a female, young one, and young male about 

 one year old coming along the cornice to me as hard 

 as they could go. When within 100 yards I whistled 

 to make them stop, and they pulled up at about 80 

 yards off. I could not see the female's shoulder, which 

 was hidden by a tree, but took as far forward as I 

 dared. At the shot they all dashed off down, and 

 passed along between Celestin and me. I seized my 

 gun which I had loaded with bullets, and ran down to 



