i86 SIR VICTOR BROOKE CHAP. 



from the ground and about I 5 o yards off. I covered 

 him steadily, and just as he turned to get down a place, 

 knocked him on to his head as dead as a door-nail. 

 He was so dead that he fell on a narrow ledge, where 

 he remained and saved his horns. We never could 

 find out where the female went to, the icicles being so 

 bad that we dared not follow the exact line she had 

 taken, and so lost the tracks. A short time after we 

 were all lunching, when Antoine suddenly began to 

 gesticulate and call out loudly as if he were mad, 

 pointing up to the top of a desperate place which faces 

 the castle, and which we call the * Fortress.' It is 

 very like the place Leotard came off, only on a much 

 bigger scale, and in winter quite inaccessible. We all 

 looked up, and there, standing on a snow field in the 

 middle of it, looking down quietly at us, was the old 

 boodah. He looked magnificent, and with the telescope 

 I saw him as clearly as if he were only 50 yards off. 

 He seemed half-inclined to come down at one time, 

 and I made a great rush across the avalanches in the 

 couloir to cut him off; but he was far too cute, and 

 turning off he strolled quietly away to a recess in the 

 rock, from which nothing could dislodge him, and there 

 we left him. I need not say I intend going back to 

 try conclusions with him, and hope to have his head in 

 the trophy room yet. I have also heard of another 

 very fine male on very easy ground near Bucharo. 



And now I have, I fear, given you a big yarn, dear 

 old boy. Send it on at once to Basil, and ask him to 

 send it to Fred, and when you have done with it I will 

 ask you to let me keep it as a kind of journal of the 

 trip." 



VALLE D' ARRAS. 



Monday, 2%th March 1881. Left Gavarnie at 

 6.30. Thirteen porters, Celestin, Passet, Jacques, 



