vii ANOTHER VICTIM 185 



ever knew a bouquetin descend before. The other 

 bouquetin hesitated a moment before they left the ledge 

 leading to the chambre a coucher, when they came down 

 like indiarubber balls. They attempted to follow the 

 aide-de-camp, but the men were too quick for them this 

 time, and the shouts and shots obliged them to take 

 the pass which led to Post. Down they came pell- 

 mell, head over heels, bounding like peas on a drum. 

 Suddenly there was a puff of white smoke, and then 

 another and another, as the bouquetin literally fell over 

 Post. The female fell very nearly on him. I now put 

 down the telescope with which I had been watching 

 them and took up the little rifle. Presently I saw the 

 female come flying down the slope below Post, where 

 she turned and came straight to me. I was on 

 a beastly steep place, and consequently very much 

 puckered up. Just as she got within about 40 yards 

 and right below me, the bouquetin got hidden by the 

 rocks between me and her, and the next moment I 

 saw her nip across a place right under me and vanish. 

 I pulled, and a splash of blood remained behind on the 

 snow. The bouquetin, however, held on, and I saw 

 her going along a ledge about 150 yards off. Just as 

 I was going to fire again, I heard Celestin, from the 

 top of the castle, shouting, ' A vous, a vous, encore, le 

 male au-dessous de vous, tirez, tirez vite ! ' As quick 

 as I could I turned and cut back to where I had just 

 fired at the female, and saw the young male nip across 

 the same place that I had fired at the female. I 

 snapped at him like a rabbit in Johnston's woods and 

 missed him, but this time I knew better the line he 

 would take. Getting back to the projecting rock from 

 which I had last seen the female, I waited patiently. 

 After a moment the bouquetin appeared, going along a 

 narrow ledge as hard as he could at about 200 feet 



