184 SIR VICTOR BROOKE CHAP. 



satisfied that this was really a good business, but I 

 have him consoled to it now, and he is as proud as 

 Punch. The next day we beat the rocks, but did 

 nothing, and Michell arriving at night, we determined 

 to have a tremendous go at the castle the following 

 day, which was our last. In the evening, on the way 

 home, we spied the three males feeding on the salle 

 d'attente. In the morning Celestin was up early, and 

 they were still there, and when he was back we started, 

 arriving at the foot of the castle about seven o'clock. 

 No sign of the bouquetin was to be made out from the 

 entrance, so Post climbed up to his place at once. As 

 he was on the way up, I caught sight of the aide-de- 

 camp, young male, and a young female one, on the 

 grassy slope, but no sign of the boodah. They were 

 looking quietly down at Post, and after a bit clambered 

 up to the chambre a coucher. I got round to my place, 

 and was just arranged there when I saw the men com- 

 mence the ascent of the castle, Michell leading. The 

 day was lovely for a wonder, and the snow having 

 melted, they got on much easier than they expected. 

 It was so early the icicles had not begun to fall. The 

 bouquetin watched the men, at first coolly, but gradually 

 getting more and more uneasy. At last the men were 

 on the upper grassy slope, Michell going on to 

 prevent them passing to the back cornice. When 

 there they all began to shout and fire pistol-shots. 

 This was too much for the aide-de-camp; taking one 

 look round him he scrambled down the precipice, and, 

 dashing at full speed across the grassy slope, where the 

 men were standing, disappeared over the precipice side. 

 The men say it was awful the place he went down, 

 and down he did go, for we afterwards found his tracks 

 where he lit in the snow when he jumped from the 

 precipice on the west side of the castle, where no one 



